Storm: Frosty Skies
by Cyri's Alter Ego
Summary: Moons have passed since Rainstorm and Foxbramble were made warriors. Skypaw is a RiverClan she-cat. Frostpaw is a WindClan tom. They have no idea they are siblings. Sequel to Storm.
1. Allegiances

**=plunges into editing again=**

ALLEGIANCES

WindClan

LEADER: Ashstar - Grey tom with darker stripes. Sometimes reckless but all in the interest of his Clan

DEPUTY: Wildheart – Enthusiastic brown tom

MEDICINE CAT: Featherflight – Dark orange long furred she-cat with pale green eyes

WARRIORS:

Dawnlight – Tortoiseshell she-cat with deep blue eyes

Mayflower – Pretty brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Roseheart – Grey tabby tom with distinctive green eyes  
Apprentice: Poppypaw

Barleypelt – Black and white tom with green eyes

Tigerface – Indifferent dark tabby tom

Mistycloud – Orange tabby with green eyes  
Apprentice: Mudpaw

Sunfire – Graceful tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes  
Apprentice: Frostpaw

Redpelt – Clever, dark she-act with amber eyes

Branchfoot – Dark brown tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Specklepaw

Bluestone – Blueish grey tom  
Apprentice: Tallpaw

Greenfrost – Tortoiseshell tom with green eyes  
Apprentice: Oakpaw

Rainstorm – Black she-cat with yellow eyes. Former kittypet

Nightfall – Black tom with amber eyes

Runningwhisker – Smoky grey tom with yellow eyes

Hawkclaw – Tawny furred tom with yellow eyes

Mosstail – Grey tabby she-cat

QUEENS:

Cindersky – Light orange tabby she-cat, like glowing cinders. Mother of Moonkit

Tawnyfur – Tawny coloured she-cat with amber eyes. Mother of Swiftkit and Wildkit

APPRENTICES:

Mudpaw – Little brown she-cat with amber eyes. Mentored by Mistycloud

Specklepaw – Dappled tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes. Mentored by Branchfoot

Oakpaw – Brown tom with amber eyes. Mentored by Greenfrost

Tallpaw – Grey tom with green eyes. Mentored by Bluestone

Poppypaw – Grey she-cat with one white paw. Mentored by Roseheart

Frostpaw – Creamy brown tom with amber eyes. Mentored by Sunfire

ELDERS:

Rockfall – Large brown tom. Used to be a strong, skilled fighter

RiverClan

LEADER: Bramblestar – Dark brown tom with yellow eyes

DEPUTY: Ravenwing – Black tom with amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Whitefur – White she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Brackentail

WARRIORS:

Swiftfoot – Russet coloured tom with green eyes  
Apprentice: Thornpaw

Dawnflower – Grey she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Tigerpaw

Rainfur – Black tom with a blueish sheen to his pelt  
Apprentice: Icepaw

Foxbramble – Creamy brown tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Skypaw

Silverblaze – Silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Rockpaw

Wildpoppy – Tortoiseshell tom with yellow eyes  
Apprentice: Clawpaw

Redsky – Ginger she-cat with green eyes

Sandshade – Dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes

QUEENS:

Hawkfire – Pale ginger she-cat

Mossears – Grey she-cat with blue eyes. Mother of Leopardkit

APPRENTICES:

Thornpaw – Golden brown tom with green eyes. Mentored by Swiftfoot

Tigerpaw – Black tom with amber eyes. Mentored by Dawnflower

Icepaw – White she-cat with green eyes. Mentored by Rainfur

Skypaw – Black she-cat with yellow eyes. Mentored by Foxbramble

Rockpaw – Brown tom with yellow eyes. Mentored by Silverblaze

Clawpaw – Brown tom with amber eyes. Mentored by Wildpoppy

ELDERS:

Bluewish – Dark grey tom

Mousepool – Mousy brown she-cat with amber eyes

Scarnose – White tom with a heavily scarred muzzle

ThunderClan

LEADER: Tawnystar – White tom with ginger patches

DEPUTY: Spottedpath – Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Brightpaw – Black she-cat with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Hawkeyes – Brown tabby tom with piercing yellow eyes  
Apprentice: Flowerpaw – Grey tabby she-cat with white paws and a white tail-tip

ShadowClan

LEADER: Cloudstar – Haughty white tom with yellow eyes

DEPUTY: Redclaw – Mottled, light reddish-brown she-cat  
Apprentice: Leopardpaw – Golden tabby tom with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Foxleaf – Small, pale grey tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Silverpaw - Silver she-cat with green eyes. Front left paw is grey

Tribe of Rushing Water

HEALER: Mist on Frosty Morning (Mist) - Grey tabby she-cat with bright yellow eyes

PREY HUNTERS:

Leaf That Falls From Tree (Leaf) - Grey she-cat with white paws

Fish That Leaps From Stream (Fish) - Dark brown tom with amber eyes

Rain That Bounces on Grass (Rain) - Black tom with leaf-green eyes

Blossom Near Swift Stream (Blossom) - Tortoiseshell she-cat with dark blue eyes

Bird That Rides the Wind (Bird) - Brown she-cat with darker flecks

Owl Who Hunts at Night (Owl) - Tawny-brown tom with amber eyes

CAVE-GUARDS:

Mud That Streaks Pelt (Mud) - Muddy brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Storm on Dark Night (Storm) - Black she-cat with a white tail tip and green eyes

Sun That Shines on Water (Sun) - Light tawny she-cat with yellow eyes

Air That Warms the Pelt (Air) - Golden brown tom. Skinny but strong

Sky on Sunny Morning (Sky) - Fluffy white she-cat with sky-blue eyes. Partially deaf

Dew on Frosted Leaf (Dew) - Black and white tom with amber eyes

Brush That Sways in Wind (Brush) - Black tom with a white tail tip and green eyes

KIT MOTHERS:

Rock From Falling Waters (Rock) - Blue-grey she-cat with black stripes. Kind but snappy

Mouse That is Carried by Eagle (Mouse) - Small brown she-cat with amber eyes

Rain Falling From Cloud (Cloud) - Black and white she-cat with yellow eyes

TO-BE'S:

Flight of Startled Heron (Flight) - Grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Cave-guard

Moon That Shines on Cavetop (Moon) - Light brown tom. Prey-hunter

Flash of Sun on Water (Flash) - White tom with a black stripe down his back. Prey-hunter

Star That Glimmers in the Night (Star) - Tawny she-cat with green eyes. Cave-guard

Dawn After Stormy Night (Dawn) - Long-furred dark grey she-cat with blue eyes. Prey-hunter


	2. Prologue

Prologue

"They're beautiful..." mewed the creamy brown tom softly. The black she-cat looked up at him with love in her eyes.

"You're right..." she whispered. "What should we name them?"

"You decide."

"If you want." The black she-cat looked down at her three squirming kits. With a start, she realised that one wasn't moving. "Foxbramble, what's wrong with that one?" she hissed to her mate.

The creamy tom's eyes filled with sadness as he gazed at his tiny daughter. "I'm sorry, Rainstorm, it's... she's… stillborn."

"No..." whispered the black cat, her mew low and strangulated with grief. "My kit..."

"Why don't we still name it?" suggested the tom quietly. "We could call it 'Starkit' since it joined StarClan before it was even born."

"Yes..." The she-cat looked at her three kits, whiskers trembling with barely restrained sorrow. "Starkit. And this one..." she mewed, laying her tail gently on the black she-kit, "looks like me. I shall call her 'Skykit'... in honour of Cindersky."

The tom blinked, evidently confused, but he said nothing as his mate went on, "And the one that looks like you... I shall name him 'Frostkit' in honour of Greenfrost."

"Starkit, Skykit, and Frostkit..." murmured the tom. "Our kits."

On a whim, it seemed, he bent down and grasped Skykit by her scruff.

"I must get back to RiverClan quickly," he mewed through a mouthful of kit-fur. "This little one needs a queen."

"Oh, but…" The black queen lashed her tail, and then remembered what they had decided. She leaned over and drew her tongue over Skykit's ear. The action contained the pain of loss. "I shall bury Starkit by this rock." Her mew was low, as were her eyes, as she gestured towards a large rock with her tail. "Then I shall go back to WindClan."

"Starkit, Skykit, and Frostkit..." The tom murmured his kits' names one last time.

His mate nodded. "Our kits, forever..."


	3. Skykit

**DISCLAIMER: I think you've realized by now... I don't own Warriors.**

Skykit

"Foxbramble!" cried Skykit happily, leaping up and bouncing on her father as he entered the nursery. The creamy brown tom purred with amusement.

"How did you know I was coming?"

"I smelled you!" replied Skykit.

"Hello, Foxbramble," smiled Mossears, the queen who had suckled Skykit. Skykit didn't know whom her real mother was - Foxbramble refused to say. But she was fine that way – as long as she had her father, her mother wasn't important. Mossears was more than a good enough replacement.

"Hi, Foxbramble!" squeaked Leopardkit, Mossears' only kit and Skykit's foster littermate.

"Hello, Mossears. Hello, Leopardkit," Foxbramble greeted them. He turned to his daughter. "Skykit, you know you have reached your sixth moon-" But Skykit's excited squealing drowned the rest of his sentence.

"I can be an apprentice!" she squeaked, thrilled.

"Yes," Foxbramble mewed. "You and Frostkit will have your ceremony at sunhigh."

"Foxbramble," Mossears mewed gently. "Do you mean Starkit? Because... Starkit's dead." She looked rather puzzled. "Who's Frostkit?"

Foxbramble shook his creamy head, sadness in his amber eyes. "Oh, Frostkit? No one, no one..."

He said nothing about Starkit. Even Skykit knew not to push him. She knew that her sister had been stillborn, and her father was still sad. She couldn't begin to imagine how sad he must have been when he saw two kits born... but one already dead.

She tried to take his mind of the subject, because it made her sad when Foxbramble was unhappy.

"Come on, come on!" she growled playfully, clamping her tiny jaws around her father's tail and trying to drag him outside.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Foxbramble purred, masking his sorrow, and followed his eager daughter outside, just as Bramblestar sounded the call for a Clan meeting.

Scrambling up next to Bramblestar, Skykit barely listened to what her leader was saying. She realised that she hadn't groomed herself, and licked her ruffled chest fur self-consciously.

Skykit looked up. The faces of every cat were upturned, staring at her. Skykit wanted to purr. She stretched her neck out proudly – she had never felt so tall! Blinking at the RiverClan cats, she began picking out random faces in the crowd, wondering which would be her mentor, and wondering... if any of the cats were her mother.

"Skykit, from this moment until you become a warrior, you shall be known as Skypaw." Skypaw just caught her leader giving her her new name. "Foxbramble, your time for an apprentice is long overdue. You shall be mentor to Skypaw."

Delighted, Skypaw bounced forward and bumped her nose, somewhat roughly, against her father's. Foxbramble smiled at her enthusiasm, and re-touched her nose more gently. Skypaw's eyes shone as she leapt down from the tall log next to the bramble bush that was the nursery.

"So what are we going to do first?" asked Skypaw impatiently, her yellow eyes as round as moons. Foxbramble purred.

"Well, I was _going_ to say introduce yourself to the other apprentices, but since you seem to be so wound up, I'll start teaching you how to fish if you want."

"Yay!" Skypaw gave a little skip as Foxbramble led her out of camp.

***

"Okay, you know that our camp is tucked onto this triangle of land," Foxbramble mewed. "Here, after we cross this stream, you'll be able to see the lake."

"Wow!" breathed Skypaw as the wide, shimmering expanse of clear water came into view.

"Now, just sit by the lakeshore," instructed Foxbramble. Skypaw quickly sat down, casting a long shadow on the water. Foxbramble shook his head.

"Try over here," he suggested. "Then your shadow won't alert the fish that you're there."

"Got it." Skypaw adjusted her position so her shadow didn't fall on the water. "The sun's in my eyes," she complained, narrowing them.

Foxbramble shrugged. "It's better than going home empty-pawed," he mewed a little sharply. "Just duck your head a little. Then you won't see the sun behind the trees."

"Sorry," muttered Skypaw, crouching lower over the water.

A dark shadow sent a ripple spiralling across the river.

"A fish!" whispered Skypaw in excitement.

"Shh..." warned Foxbramble. The fish came up, almost to the surface, and then...

_Smack_! Foxbramble lashed out a paw and dealt the fish a hard blow to the head. The fish shot out of the water with a spray of shining droplets that splashed Skypaw's fur.

Foxbramble nipped the fish near its gills. It flopped around, and then stopped wriggling. It was dead.

"You caught it!" cried Skypaw, her tail flicking in excitement.

"Want it?" offered Foxbramble. "We aren't on a hunting patrol, so we won't be breaking the warrior code."

Skypaw nodded, only just noticing how hungry she was. Bending her head, she tucked in to the cool, succulent flesh.

"Can I… can I have a go?" she asked tentatively once she had cleaned the last of the fishy morsels from her whiskers. Foxbramble nodded, and Skypaw took up the required position. When she saw a fish, she struck out, almost landing it. It flopped and squirmed on the shore, and Skypaw reached out a paw to try and grab it – but it wriggled back into the lake with a soft splash. Skypaw's face fell.

"Don't worry," Foxbramble mewed encouragingly. "You'll get it soon. You just struck too early, that's all.

The apprentice wrinkled her nose. "I suppose…" she mewed slowly.

"Good," replied Foxbramble confidently.

He lifted his nose and sniffed at the air. "Can you scent that?" he questioned.

Skypaw copied his pose. "Um… It smells a bit like honey, and breeze…"

"Excellent," her mentor congratulated her. "That's WindClan scent. We're close by their border. Would you like to patrol it?"

His voice was casual, but Skypaw detected a note of eagerness in his mew. _Why does he want to see WindClan?_ she wondered. She stared over the lake. _It's probably nothing. And I _would_ like to see the other Clans…_

"Let's go!" she agreed.

***

As they approached the open moorland, Skypaw noticed the WindClan scent grow noticeably stronger. She looked around at her mentor. Foxbramble was breathing deeply, an expression of pure happiness on his face.

"Foxbramble?"

Foxbramble whipped his head around, looking highly embarrassed. "W-WindClan," he stammered. "Er… Drink in the scent now, so you can recognise it later."

Skypaw did what he said, casting her mentor and father a suspicious sideways glance. What was he hiding?

Suddenly Foxbramble froze.

"I smell cats," he whispered. "It's a WindClan patrol."

Five or so cats came into view on the horizon. They all smelt of the fresh breeze, and they were racing towards the border at top speed. Skypaw admired how quickly they sped over the tufty moorland.

Presently, the cats reached Foxbramble and Skypaw.

"Greetings, Foxbramble," mewed a brown tom.

"Wildheart." Foxbramble dipped his head. "How are things in WindClan?"

"Fair," replied the brown tom. "We have a new apprentice, Frostpaw."

Skypaw noticed Foxbramble stiffen at the mention of the new apprentice, but he only meowed, "This is my daughter, Skypaw."

"Hello, young apprentice," mewed a warm voice. Skypaw looked around to see a black she-cat with yellow eyes gazing at her with a dew-eyed expression. Skypaw drew in her scent.

_She smells... of warmth, and milk, and... kin._ She quickly shook her head. _Wait, that's impossible! This cat is in WindClan… she can't be..._

"Why are you speaking to _that_ cat, mother?" asked a small voice.

_Mother... she already has a kit._

But Skypaw did a double take as she eyed the apprentice who had just spoken. She looked at her father. _Coincidence,_ she thought wildly. _It's just a coincidence..._

Both the WindClan apprentice and her father were creamy brown with amber eyes.

Both Skypaw and the WindClan warrior were black with yellow eyes.


	4. Starkit

**DISCLAIMER: Me love Warriors. But me no own Warriors. Me is sad...**

Starkit

Frostpaw eyed the little RiverClan apprentice with dislike.

"What are _you _staring at?" he spat coldly, trying to ignore the scent coming off her. She smelt like... a... littermate? No - impossible. Starkit was his only littermate. Skypaw, the RiverClan apprentice, started and looked away.

"Skypaw!" Sunfire, Frostpaw's mentor looked stern – not to mention embarrassed that her apprentice was acting in such an unfriendly manner. "That was uncalled for! Skypaw was making no hostile actions. Apologise!"

"But-"

"_At once_."

"Sorry," Frostpaw mumbled, not feeling sorry at all.

"We'll see you at a Gathering, I suppose?" mewed Foxbramble quickly, evidently trying to break the awkward silence. Turning and beginning to head deeper into RiverClan territory, he called for his apprentice. "Skypaw!"

The black she-cat cast Frostpaw and Rainstorm a long look and hurried after her mentor.

"Mouse-brained she-cat," muttered Frostpaw under his breath. _What's so interesting about me anyway? _In truth, he was unnerved by how similar she was to his mother. And her mentor… Foxbramble… Frostpaw looked almost identical to him.

"Come on, let's get back to camp," mewed Sunfire, apparently not noticing his surliness towards the RiverClan cats

"Sure." Frostpaw was glad to leave. The scent of the RiverClan apprentice still hung in his nostrils, and he badly wanted to return to the security of his own camp.

***

Frostpaw shook his head in confusion. What was he doing out of camp? He couldn't even remember this part of WindClan territory... _Obviously I just haven't explored it with Sunfire yet, _he told himself sternly, mentally shaking himself.

As he adjusted to his surroundings, the WindClan apprentice's ears detected a mewling.

_Kits! _he thought in alarm. _What are they doing out of camp?_

_…For that matter, what am _I_ doing out of camp?_

He shook his head. If there was a kit involved, Tawnyfur and Cindersky were known to worry like no queens before… Frostpaw gulped.

He sped towards the source of the mewling to see a black kit with one creamy brown paw. Newborn, by the looks of it.

_Wait a heartbeat... _thought Frostpaw. _We don't have any kits that young in WindClan... And I don't… I don't recognise this kit…_

"Frostpaw!" squeaked the tiny kit, looking up and leaping onto Frostpaw, bowling the creamy brown tom over. Frostpaw jumped. The kit could... _talk_? But... surely it was far too young? And it was also a lot stronger than he had expected… He tried to struggle up, but it was difficult when all of the breath had been squashed out of him.

"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Erm... Well, I'm Starkit!" mewed the kit. Frostpaw's eyes widened.

"_S-Starkit_? Like... like, my stillborn sister? That Starkit?"

"Yes." Starkit cocked her head, blinking innocently. "I don't know any other Starkits, do you?"

"N-no." Frostpaw was still bewildered. "I'm dreaming, then?"

"Sure you are!" replied Starkit happily. "And Skypaw is, too!"

"_Skypaw_?" mewed Frostpaw incredulously. "What does that nosy mouse-brain have to do with it?"

"Who are you calling a nosy mouse-brain?" mewed a slightly annoyed voice from behind them. Frostpaw turned to see the RiverClan she-cat from the patrol standing right beside them. Her eyes were yellow pools of hurt. "I knew you were suspicious, but I never thought you felt _that _strongly about it."

"Oh, well..." Frostpaw looked down at his paws. "Sorry, I guess," he mumbled.

"It's okay, I suppose." Skypaw let out a sigh, but she was looking at Starkit now. "Um... Starkit, what's going on? Why have you called us here?"

"I guess I just called to say hi!" mewed Starkit cheerfully. "I wanted to meet you both. Oh, Skypaw, say hello to Rainstorm, and Frostpaw, say hello to Foxbramble!"

"Who's Foxbramble?" asked Frostpaw, just as Skypaw wondered, "Who's Rainstorm?"

"She's my mother," explained Frostpaw. At the same moment, Skypaw replied, "He's my father."

"Oh, sorry!" Starkit shook her tiny black head. "I keep getting you mixed up. Skypaw, say hi to Foxbramble, and you, Frostpaw, say hi to Rainstorm!"

Frostpaw and Skypaw exchanged a mystified glance.

"Starkit! What in _Silverpelt_ are you doing?"

An angry-looking black-and-white she-cat was storming towards the kit. Starkit started and hid, trembling, behind Skypaw.

"Why did you send Skypaw and Frostpaw a dream?" she mewed angrily. "I know they're your brother and sister, but they weren't supposed to know they were related yet, they were supposed to figure it out themselves!

"Sorry, Stormcloud..." mewed Starkit in a small voice. "I thought it would be fun to have someone to play with..."

Skypaw was looking amazed.

"E-excuse me." Frostpaw's mew trembled. "I don't quite understand. Starkit is my sister... and Rainstorm is my mother. Stormcloud, you were Rainstorm's mother, weren't you? I've heard her talk about you... but... how does this 'Skypaw' come into it? She's not even in the same Clan!"

"I think I know," Skypaw ventured. "Just before I became an apprentice, my father, Foxbramble, said something about Frostkit having their apprentice ceremony too. I didn't know who it was, but..." She took a deep, trembling breath. "This may sound... a little... far-fetched, but... I believe that Rainstorm of WindClan is my mother. I also believe that you, Frostpaw, are my brother."

Frostpaw said nothing. His jaws fell open in surprise.

"It's because..." continued Skypaw in a small voice, "when we were on the patrol, I thought I was looking at my father as an apprentice when I saw you. You both have long creamy brown pelts, and your eyes are the exact same shade of amber. And... Rainstorm has the same short black fur as me, and the same yellow eyes."

Stormcloud was nodding solemnly. "Yes," she sighed. "You see... When I died, Rainstorm was still a kittypet. Ashstar let her join WindClan, but in time, she fell in love with a RiverClan apprentice, Foxpaw." Stormcloud nodded towards Skypaw. "When you were born, Foxbramble took you, Skypaw, back to RiverClan to raise, and Rainstorm brought you, Frostpaw, to be brought up in WindClan."

When Skypaw finally spoke, her voice was hoarse. "Frostpaw... you... you're really my brother?" It was evident that she hadn't really believed what she had been saying.

"No," mewed Frostpaw abruptly, causing Skypaw to stare. "No, I won't believe it. You... all of you... this is just a dream! Dreams aren't real! Rainstorm is my mother, and if she doesn't want to say who fathered me, that's her business. It _certainly_ wasn't some mousebrain from _RiverClan_!" He spat the word.

"Frostpaw-" mewed Skypaw timidly, but Frostpaw ignored her and persisted with his tirade.

"Starkit is my only sister, and she was stillborn! I don't believe it! I... I... _StarClan's just a tale for kits_!" he burst out suddenly, and rushed blindly away, leaving Stormcloud, Skypaw, and Starkit completely stunned.


	5. Clawpaw

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Warriors, would I be on Fanfiction? Answer, no, I would be working on _Sunrise _with the rest of the Erins.**

Clawpaw

Skypaw's yellow eyes widened. She watched in silence as the creamy brown tom padded firmly away. She cast a glance at Stormcloud. A muscle was working in her grandmother's jaw.

"Is he... really my brother?" she asked quietly, addressing Stormcloud's paws.

The black-and-white she-cat looked up. "Yes," she admitted reluctantly.

"In that case, I believe you," Skypaw mewed determinedly. She nodded. "This is more than a dream... I know that StarClan exists!" She raised her head as she mewed her next words. "And I won't rest until I change Frostpaw's beliefs!"

"He can be loyal without believing," whispered Stormcloud gently. Skypaw blinked, startled that a StarClan cat would say such a thing.

"And... you'll visit me, right?" broke in Starkit hopefully.

Skypaw couldn't help purring at her tiny sister. "Sure!"

***

It was after sunhigh. Foxbramble, Skypaw, Rainfur, Icepaw, and Redsky had just returned from the sunhigh patrol.

"Well?" Ravenwing asked the leader of the patrol, Rainfur.

"No trouble on the WindClan border," Rainfur reported. "And the ShadowClan border seems secure."

"Good," nodded the deputy. He noticed Skypaw and her father, and turned to them. "Oh - Foxbramble, Skypaw, you're going to the Gathering tonight. So are Whitefur, Brackentail, Swiftfoot, Wildpoppy, Sandshade... and Clawpaw, Tigerpaw, and Thornpaw. Mousepool and Scarnose, too. You might tell them for me?" he requested.

"Okay. Of course." Foxbramble dipped his head to the deputy, then turned to Skypaw. "Can you go and tell the apprentices?"

"Yes, of course!" Skypaw was almost bursting with delight. Her first Gathering! She rushed off to the apprentice den to tell the other three apprentices.

"Clawpaw! Tigerpaw! Thornpaw!" yowled Skypaw animatedly. The black tom, Tigerpaw, looked up from grooming himself. He was the only apprentice in the den at present.

"Something wrong, Skypaw?" he mewed quizzically. Skypaw vigorously shook her head, a purr escaping her.

"StarClan, no!" she cried, eyes shining. "We're going to the Gathering!"

Tigerpaw jumped up at once, letting out a triumphant yowl.

"The Gathering!" he mewed ecstatically. "Really?"

"Yes!" replied Skypaw. She looked around the den. "Where are Thornpaw and Clawpaw? They're coming, too."

"Um..." Tigerpaw thought for a moment. "Thornpaw got a thorn in his paw..." He purred, amused at the irony, and continued, "so he's with Whitefur, and I think Wildpoppy took Clawpaw out hunting."

"Okay, thanks," mewed Skypaw, and she backed out of the den.

She bounded across camp to Whitefur's den. She could here Thornpaw's complaining mew before she got within two fox-lengths of the den.

"Brackentail, that _stings_!"

"Well, I can't apply any marigold until this thorn's out," Skypaw heard Brackentail mew. His voice was muffled, as though he was gripping the thorn between his jaws.

"_Ow_!"

"There, it's out. Give it a gentle lick, and then I'll apply this marigold."

Skypaw entered the den to find the golden brown apprentice licking his wound, while Brackentail watched, a thorn between his jaws.

"Hi, Skypaw," he mewed, spitting out the thorn. "Whitefur's out collecting herbs, did you want her?"

"Oh, no," Skypaw shook his head. "Actually, I wanted to speak to Thornpaw. Thornpaw, I just wanted to tell you, Ravenwing says that we're going to the Gathering."

"Theriouthly?" Thornpaw gasped, his tongue sticking out of his mouth and affecting his speech as he forgot to lick his injured paw. He flicked it back inside his jaws. "That's… _amazing_! I've got to go and tell Swiftfoot!"

He dashed off.

"Hey!" Brackentail stuck his head out of the den. "You've got to rest that paw…! …And he's gone." He shook his head.

Skypaw stifled a purr. Her eyes followed Thornpaw's excited pursuits around camp, and fell on her mentor, who was passing the golden-brown apprentice.

"Foxbramble!" she cried, hurrying across to him. "Tigerpaw says that Clawpaw's out training with Wildpoppy. Can I take the message to them? I won't be long," she promised.

Foxbramble nodded. "Of course. I'll tell Bramblestar where you are, if he asks. And be back…" he added, glancing carelessly at the sky, "by sundown."

"Thanks, Foxbramble," mewed Skypaw. "I will."

***

"Where _are _they?" Skypaw wondered aloud. "They couldn't be more elusive if they _tried_!"

Suddenly, a thought struck the black apprentice. If she went to the WindClan border... just to check if Clawpaw and Wildpoppy were there... it couldn't do any harm... could it? And if… by a coincidental chance… Frostpaw happened to be there…

Well, no cat could blame them for just _talking_, right?

"No, of course they couldn't," mewed Skypaw aloud, starting to pad towards the border.

"What couldn't?" asked a voice.

"Nothing!" mewed Skypaw quickly, whipping around to see Whitefur. She had forgotten that the medicine cat was out gathering herbs. "Just saying... Clawpaw and Wildpoppy couldn't be back at camp yet."

"Oh." Whitefur blinked.

"By the way, did you know that you're coming to the Gathering?" Skypaw asked, eager to change the subject.

"Oh, no, I didn't. Thanks, Skypaw," mewed the medicine cat. "Would you like me to walk you back to camp?" she offered. "I've got to see Icepaw, she's got… Um, she's got a bad belly." She looked rather shifty, but Skypaw hardly noticed.

"Sure," sighed Skypaw. She would have to wait until the Gathering. She just hoped that Frostpaw would come.

***

"Come on, Skypaw!" mewed Tigerpaw, his mew unnaturally high with anticipation. "You're so slow! We want to get there before the other Clans so we can talk to the other apprentices!"

Skypaw allowed herself a purr. Despite Frostpaw, she couldn't help feeling buoyant at the prospect of her very first Gathering. "Catch me if you can, then!"

She rushed ahead of the other apprentices.

"Careful, you four!" called Sandshade, a dark ginger she-cat. Skypaw slowed down.

"Sorry, Sandshade!" she called to the warrior. Padding over a hill after Bramblestar at a steadier pace, she suddenly caught sight of the lake. In the moonlight, it looked even more beautiful than the round full moon. She stared down at the island. Looking closely, she could just make out some sleek feline shapes already down there.

Skypaw wondered if Frostpaw was one of them. And, even if he was... would he listen to her at all?

"Come on, Skypaw!" mewed Tigerpaw, his mew unnaturally high with anticipation. "You're so slow! We want to get there before the other Clans so we can talk to the other apprentices!"

Skypaw allowed herself a purr. Despite Frostpaw, she couldn't help feeling buoyant at the prospect of her very first Gathering. "Catch me if you can, then!"

She rushed ahead of the other apprentices.

"Careful, you four!" called Sandshade, a dark ginger she-cat. Skypaw slowed down.

"Sorry, Sandshade!" she called to the warrior. Padding over a hill after Bramblestar at a steadier pace, she suddenly caught sight of the lake. In the moonlight, it looked even more beautiful than the round full moon. She stared down at the island. Looking closely, she could just make out some sleek feline shapes already down there.

Skypaw wondered if Frostpaw was one of them. And, even if he was... would he listen to her at all?


	6. Foxbramble

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Warriors, I would no longer be writing this story on Fanfiction. But then my violent- er, _lovely_ reviewers would murder me for discontinuing it.**

Foxbramble

"Hey, Frostpaw!"

Frostpaw looked up from his half-eaten rabbit to see Runningwhisker padding towards him.

"Hi, Runningwhisker."

"Listen, would you like to go to the Gathering tonight? Ashstar said you could."

Suddenly, Frostpaw didn't feel so hungry any more. "No, thank you," he mewed shortly. He knew that his dream had been just that - a dream. But all the same, just in case Skypaw was there... He didn't want some interfering she-cat trying to make him believe they were related. Not that he believed in all that 'sharing dreams' nonsense, but you could never be too careful.

"Are... are you sure?" The smoky grey warrior looked concerned. "Usually new apprentices jump at the chance-"

"Quite sure, thanks." There wasn't any point in the Gathering, anyway. StarClan wasn't real, so why should he be afraid of 'risking their wrath'?

"Are you ill or something?" Runningwhisker persisted.

"Yes - ill." Frostpaw seized his chance. "I've got a bellyache. It's nothing major, but I don't think I'd be well enough to go to the Gathering. Why don't you ask someone else, like... like Poppypaw," he mewed, spotting the grey apprentice sharing tongues with Tallpaw. "She's been _dying_ to go to a Gathering..."

"Okay..." Runningwhisker didn't look totally convinced, but he still turned and started to speak to Poppypaw.

***

That night, Frostpaw watched all the cats that were going to the Gathering leave.

"You will be okay, right?" asked Rainstorm, rasping his ear with her tongue. "It's tough having to watch every cat go to a Gathering while you're left here, especially when you're an apprentice."

"I'll be fine," Frostpaw assured her truthfully.

"If you're sure…" Rainstorm's whiskers twitched in slight worry. "I suppose it can't be helped. I'll see you later, then, Frostpaw." She padded away to the where the warriors slept - she wasn't going, either.

Frostpaw's mind was on RiverClan.

_Foxbramble couldn't be my father... could he? We do look alike... Oh, what am I thinking? My mother would never break the warrior code that way..._

But now he was afraid to sleep. What if his mind conjured up an angry Stormcloud nightmare? What if _Skypaw_ ended up in his dream?

"This is so _mousebrained_!" he cried out loud, gritting his jaws in irritation.

He had forgotten that he wasn't alone in the camp.

"What's wrong, Frostpaw?" asked Tawnyfur, eyes glittering with concern. Frostpaw quickly conjured up an excuse, thinking miserably that it was becoming easier and easier to lie.

"Umm... I was just saying that it was mousebrained that I'm so ill at a Gathering," he lied.

Tawnyfur purred with sympathy. "Don't worry. I expect my kits will be happy to have someone to talk to. So will Cindersky," she added. "She doesn't like being cooped up in the nursery. And everyone will be happy once Moonkit's apprenticed. He's more trouble than a fox in a fit."

Frostpaw purred with laughter in spite of himself. It would be good to take his mind off things.

He followed the tawny queen back to the nursery. Suddenly a bundle of yellowish-gold fur landed on him.

"Frostpaw!" mewed Moonkit ecstatically.

Swiftkit and Wildkit didn't want to miss out. The two kits hurled themselves on top on the apprentice.

"Hey!" cried Frostpaw good-humouredly through a mouthful of Swiftkit's fur. He stood up and tried to shake the three kits off. "Wildkit, get off my tail!"

"Hi, Frostpaw. Got left behind?" asked Cindersky in a pitying mew.

"Yes..." Frostpaw tried hard to look upset.

"Never mind. You were only apprenticed a couple of days ago. Maybe next time."

_I sure hope not... _Frostpaw thought.

"Oh, Frostpaw, Frostpaw, Frostpaw!" cried Moonkit suddenly. "I'm going to get apprenticed soon!"

"Really? That's great!" purred Frostpaw, momentarily forgetting his troubles. For a heartbeat, he could almost imagine that he was a kit again, with nothing to worry about except who would think of the best games. "Do you know who your mentor is going to be yet?"

Moonkit shook her head. "But I saw Ashstar talking to Rainstorm, and she looked pretty pleased!"

"You're so lucky!" mewed Swiftkit enviously. "Every cat knows that Rainstorm got to travel to the mountains with that Tribe cat, so she's got loads of experience!"

"I know!" Moonkit squeaked. "When I become a warrior, I want to be called Moon... Moonlight!"

"_I _want to be..." Swiftkit thought. "Swiftaslightning!" she proclaimed proudly.

"You can't be that!" Wildkit gasped. "I'm going to be Wildheart!"

"There's already a cat called Wildheart! The deputy, remember?"

"Well, I've got a wilder heart than Wildheart has! Plus, _you_ can't be called Swiftaslightning!"

"I can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!" Swiftkit hurled herself at her brother and the next heartbeat, the two were in the midst of a play-fight.

"I'm going to go and ask Rockfall to tell me the story about Rainstorm!" cried Moonkit, evidently still thinking about her apprentice ceremony.

_I've got nothing else to do… _"I'll come too!" Frostpaw mewed, dashing after the excited kit.

Despite Frostpaw's age advantage, Moonkit was already sitting up straight in the elders' den, looking keen and alert, when he arrived.

"Hello, you two." Rockfall greeted them with a twitch of his ears. "Have you come to hear a story about when I was deputy?"

"Yes, please!" Moonkit begged, as Swiftkit and Wildkit skidded up to them. They had apparently abandoned their play-fight in favour of a story. "Can you tell us the one about Rainstorm and Fog?"

"Her name was Mist," Rockfall corrected her gently. "Okay, I'll tell you.

"After Rainpaw's first Gathering - she was an apprentice back then - she found a silver cat who had a strange, foreign scent. The cat attacked her at first, but the two soon became friends, and the cat revealed that her name was Mist on Frosty Morning, and she was from the Tribe of Rushing Water, which is a group of cats from the mountains.

"The next day, when Rainpaw returned, she found that a RiverClan apprentice, Foxpaw, had found Mist too. He wanted to tell Bramblestar, but Rainpaw easily convinced him not to."

"I'm not sure it was quite like that, Rockfall," an embarrassed voice mewed from behind them. It was Rainstorm. "Foxpaw was _very _hard to convince. He was as stubborn as a badger with a head cold, and the next time we met, it was in battle. Then StarClan spoke to me..."

"_StarClan_ spoke to you?" Moonkit gasped, her eyes as round as her name. Rainstorm nodded.

"I managed to make friends with Foxpaw again, and before long, I realized that Foxpaw and I were part of a prophecy..."

"_You_ were part of a _prophecy_?" squealed Swiftkit.

Rainstorm bowed her head. "_A storm is coming... A storm that will toss all the Clans in turmoil. And it will appear in the shape of one cat. A cat not of the Clans_," she quoted.

"Wow..." Wildkit breathed.

Frostpaw's heart was beating fast. Foxpaw... "What was Foxpaw's warrior name?" he asked quietly. Rainstorm looked a little startled, but she answered readily.

"Well, it was… It was Foxbramble."


	7. Rainstorm

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Warriors! I don't own Warriors! I don't own Warriors! Has the message sunk in yet?!**

Rainstorm

Skypaw wove in between the cats of different Clans. The mixing scents that hung in her nostrils confused her.

"Frostpaw, where are you...?" she muttered. At that moment, she scented WindClan, and looked up, but it was just a grey she-cat with one white paw... _But she might know where Frostpaw is, _she thought.

"And _then_..." the WindClan apprentice was saying, "I came after it with the speed of LeopardClan in my paws!"

"Hi," Skypaw mewed to her. "I'm Skypaw. I'm in RiverClan," she pointed out, just in case the she-cat couldn't smell it on her.

"Oh. Hi." The she-cat finished her story and turned to face Skypaw. "I'm Poppypaw."

"So, how is it going in WindClan?"

"Good," Poppypaw said cautiously. Skypaw guessed that her mentor had told her not to say much.

"I wonder how many apprentices are here?" Skypaw pretended to wonder. "From my Clan, there's Tigerpaw, Thornpaw, and Clawpaw."

"Oh, from my Clan, there's me, of course, and Mudpaw, Specklepaw, Tallpaw, and Oakpaw," Poppypaw mewed. Then she slapped her tail over her mouth. "Oops… Guess I forgot what Roseheart said to me about not letting on too much…" She looked guilty.

"Don't worry, I won't tell," promised Skypaw, though her heart was beating fast.

"I'd better go." Poppypaw scuffed her paws on the ground apologetically. "If Roseheart catches me, I'm crowfood."

"Mmm." Skypaw wasn't really listening anymore. "See you."

So that stupid tom wasn't here after all! _He can't avoid me forever!_ she thought angrily. At that moment, she realized that her father wasn't there. _He was there before…_

"Foxbramble!" Skypaw called, unsure. Suddenly, she heard some voices behind a bush.

"Rainstorm, we can't keep doing this," a voice was whispering. "Our kits are growing up - they're bound to find out sooner or later. I almost mentioned Frostpaw's name on the day of Skypaw's apprentice ceremony..."

"You what?" The mew that followed was distressed. "Skypaw's a smart cat... what if she's figured it out already?"

Her heart beating fast, Skypaw answered loudly, "I have."

There were two gasps from behind the bush, and Foxbramble pushed out.

"Hi, Skypaw," he mewed, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.

"Okay, the game's up," Skypaw sighed. "You can come out too, Rainstorm," she added in a slightly louder voice. The black she-cat crept out the bush after Foxbramble.

"What do you know?" she whispered.

"I know that you're my parents, and Frostpaw is my brother."

The two adult cats glanced at each other. "You're a smart cat," Rainstorm admitted.

"Thanks, mother." _Mother_. The word sounded strange in her mouth.

"_Shhhhh_!" Foxbramble and Rainstorm urged.

"Does Frostpaw know?" Foxbramble asked in an undertone.

Skypaw sighed. "Ye-es..." she mewed.

"But...?"

"But he doesn't believe it. He doesn't think that his mother would 'break the warrior code like that' or something..."

"I guess we can't leave him in denial forever..." Foxbramble said slowly.

"You can't blame him. This must be a big shock," Rainstorm reminded him. She shot a sideways glance at Skypaw. "How did you find out?"

"Oh, I can guess!" mewed Foxbramble. "Starkit?"

"How did you know?"

"She's a little... over the top. She adores sending dreams to cats she loves. Stormcloud tries to stop her, but..." Rainstorm purred. "We still get a dream from her about once every two nights."

Skypaw purred.

"Y-you won't tell any Clan leaders, will you?" asked Foxbramble, suddenly nervous.

"Are you kidding?" mewed Skypaw. "Of course not. You're my parents!"

Foxbramble and Rainstorm breathed a sigh of relief, but they were prevented from saying any more by Tawnystar's commanding yowl.

"Cats of all Clans!" he yowled. "ThunderClan grieves for the loss of our leader, Mothstar. She was a noble cat, but she hunts peacefully with StarClan now, and I am capable of leading my Clan through many harsh moons to come. My new deputy will be Spottedpath."

A tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes nodded. "I am able," she mewed quietly.

There was a yowl of approval from the ThunderClan cats. Tawnystar was obviously popular, as was Spottedpath.

"Mothstar _died_?" murmured Rainstorm in shock.

"She was a great leader," Foxbramble nodded. "She will rest in StarClan with the best of them."

"WindClan has little to report," Ashstar mewed. "We have a new apprentice, Frostpaw. That is all."

He stepped back to let Cloudstar speak.

"ShadowClan is thriving," he said shortly. His eyes flashed, as though he dared any cat to deny it. "Foxleaf, our medicine cat, has taken on an apprentice, Silverpaw."

Last to speak was Bramblestar. "We also have a new apprentice. Skypaw is here tonight."

Skypaw looked at her paws as she felt the stares of many cats all focused on her.

"Skypaw! Skypaw!" Foxbramble purred.

It was a very short Gathering, Skypaw reflected, as the leaders dismissed them. She wondered if they were normally over that quickly.

The cats began to file out of the island.

"Come on, Rainstorm!" a brown tom called.

"Coming, Wildheart!" Rainstorm called back. She swept her tail briefly over Skypaw's ears. "Goodbye, my brave kit," she murmured. "May we meet again soon."

And, with her head full of stars, Skypaw followed her father off the island, thinking that Frostpaw had no idea what he was missing.


	8. Mistycloud

**DISCLAIMER: 9 4151420 152814 2811818915182019. (Translation: I don't own Warriors)**

Mistycloud

Frostpaw whirled around in confusion. All around him, there was nothing but a mass of swirling colour. As he stared hard at the flashes of red, green, and blue, certain images flicked before his eyes. A forest, a river, a pine forest, a moor, a lake... He was seeing glimpses of his home. And then the voices started.

"Frostpaw!"

"Frostpaw!"

"Frostpaw!"

"Frostpaw!"

"Where are you?" Frostpaw yowled, frightened more than he would have admitted. "Tell me!"

"Frostpaw! Frostpaw...!"

The voices were getting fainter. Just when they had almost disappeared...

"_Frostpaw_!"

Frostpaw awoke with a jolt. He was in the apprentice den. Mudpaw was looking at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You were writhing around like mad when I came in here."

"I-I'm okay," Frostpaw answered shakily. That last voice had sounded awfully like... "Just - just a bad dream. So," he mewed, trying to lighten the mood, "what are you doing today?"

Mudpaw gave a little bounce of excitement. "It's my assessment today! If I pass, I'll become a warrior!"

"That's great!" Frostpaw mewed, trying to muster up the appropriate amount of enthusiasm. "Good luck!"

He padded out of the apprentice's den and looked around. He saw Featherflight sorting herbs by her den.

_She's the medicine cat, so perhaps..._

"Featherflight?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes?" she mewed, not looking up. Frostpaw said nothing. Featherflight's head flicked up. "Sorry." She twitched her whiskers apologetically. "I am listening."

"Mmm..." Frostpaw replied. "Featherflight, have you ever had strange dreams?"

Featherflight put her head on one side, giving a single nod. "Plenty of times. I'm the medicine cat, remember?"

"Yes..."

"Why? Have you had an odd dream?"

"More like a nightmare, really..." Frostpaw mumbled. "There was just this jumble of… _everything,_ and some voices were calling my name... Can you… help me interpret it?"

"Sorry." Featherflight went back to sorting herbs. "If it _was _from StarClan, it's your sign. You have to interpret it yourself. Besides, it might not even be from StarClan at all...That's what Sunspot taught me."

Her voice was brisk, but laced with grief. Frostpaw didn't know what to say. It had been a couple of moons since Sunspot, the former medicine cat, had died in an attack from a fox, but Featherflight was evidently still quite sad. Sunspot had been her mentor, after all.

"Anyway," Featherflight went on. "I could really do with an apprentice. It's hard doing all the work by myself."

"I'm helping, Featherflight!" squeaked a small voice. Frostpaw and Featherflight looked down to see Wildkit bouncing around beside them.

"Yes, you've been a great help, Wildkit," Featherflight purred affectionately.

"_I_'ll be your apprentice!" Wildkit offered.

"What about Swiftkit?" Frostpaw asked. Wildkit wrinkled his nose.

"She wants to be a warrior," he replied. "She says 'I don't know why you like those smelly herbs'. But they're _not_. They're _not_," he repeated obstinately. Suddenly he purred. "She won't be saying that when I become a medicine cat of amazingacy and save her life!"

Featherflight licked Wildkit on the ear in a fond sort of manner.

"Frostpaw!" called a voice. Frostpaw looked over, distracted from the medicine cat and her soon-to-be apprentice, to see Rainstorm beckoning to him. "Over here!"

Frostpaw meowed a quick, "Bye," to Featherflight and Wildkit and dashed over to Rainstorm.

"Frostpaw, I need to tell you something," Rainstorm mewed, her voice low. But she was prevented from saying any more by a loud yowl. The two cats looked over to see Mudpaw bursting into camp, blood dripping from a cut above her eye. She was trembling, her eyes holding a wild and frightened look.

"RiverClan are attacking at the border!" she gasped. "A wh-whole patrol! And I had to leave Mistycloud fighting all of them!"

Ashstar immediately became alert. Mistycloud was his mate. "We need a patrol, now," he ordered. "Wildheart, Featherflight, Mayflower, Patchfur, Sunfire, Branchfoot, Greenfrost, Nightfall, and Hawkclaw. Take your apprentices. In fact, take all of the apprentices. And if your apprentice is going, you go with them."

"What about me?" Rockfall intervened, sounding vaguely hurt.

"Old friend, you retired for the elder's den for a reason." Ashstar twitched his ear to silence him as Rockfall started to object. "But I know that you would still fight to the death to defend us, which is why I need you here."

Rockfall, half-risen from his nest, looked as though he was about to protest some more, but he closed his jaws, and gave one swift nod.

"You know best," he mewed simply.

***

All the cats Ashstar had chosen followed him swiftly to the RiverClan border. Mistycloud came into sight, trying hard to fend off three RiverClan warriors at once. She had a fresh gash across her belly, and even as Frostpaw watched, one of the RiverClan warriors scratched her across the ear, giving her another wound.

"Mistycloud!" gasped Ashstar, running to his mate's side and giving a dark ginger queen a fierce warning nip. The RiverClan cat shied away. "Go to Featherflight, _now_!"

"Here, I've got some cobwebs!" Featherflight mewed, hobbling towards them on three paws, the fourth outstretched and covered with sticky white spider webs. Mistycloud shook her head wearily, sinking to the ground.

"I can't... Ashstar..." she rasped, shaking her furry head again. "Take care of Bluestone... and take care... take care _especially_ of Tawnyfur and Nightfall, they're so... _young_, Ashstar." Her eyes held a pleading look, and Frostpaw almost ducked his head, afraid he was invading on something private. "I'm so proud of all our kits... and Mudpaw... she deserves... to be a warrior..."

"No!" Ashstar howled. "Mistycloud!"

"Petalpaw...?" Mistycloud gasped feebly. "Is that... is that you...?"

Her eyes were fluttering, as though she could see her kit guiding her to the stars. Ashstar licked her flank frantically, as though he could stop this from happening...

Even the RiverClan warriors hung back. Featherflight looked like she was struggling with some inner battle. Frostpaw thought he knew what she was thinking. _Should she still help Mistycloud, even though it's already... too late?_

Because it _was _too late.

Mistycloud blinked, her eyelids slid over her eyes for the last time, and she joined her long-dead daughter in the ranks of StarClan.


	9. Tigerpaw

**DISCLAIMER: Warriors isn't mine. It's a playground created by the magical Erins. If I'm good, can I play some more? =puppy-dog eyes=**

Tigerpaw

Skypaw stared in shock at the still-bleeding body of the WindClan queen. _How did this border skirmish end in... death?_

But Swiftfoot, who was leading the patrol, was organising tactics, apparently indifferent to the dead cat almost at his paws.

"Sandshade, you take that tortoiseshell tom. Rainfur, you've got the brown she-cat. Skypaw," Swiftfoot wheeled around to face her, "that brown apprentice. The one that looks like Foxbramble." He narrowed his eyes at Frostpaw. "Similarity's scary," he commented, with a flick of his whiskers.

Skypaw felt sick. "Does it have to be... _that_ one?" she asked.

"Anything _wrong _with that?" Swiftfoot's eyes flashed dangerously.

Skypaw looked at her paws. "N-no, Swiftfoot."

"Good." Swiftfoot gave a curt nod. He turned to face Ashstar, and lunged for him with a yowl of rage. Ashstar's head whipped up and, his eyes glinting with anger, countered with a powerful slash.

_Oh, dear StarClan… Ashstar's out for _revenge_… _Skypaw worried.

"Skypaw, get that apprentice!" Swiftfoot yowled, jerking her out of her thoughts.

"Um, right!" Skypaw padded up to her brother as slowly as she dared. Suddenly, she found herself face-to-face with her brother. He didn't look too impressed with her.

"Frostpaw..." she whispered, bewildered. "What... what shall we do?"

For a terrible heartbeat, Skypaw feared Frostpaw would turn around and attack her as he bunched his muscles and prepared to spring. Skypaw flinched, but Frostpaw sailed over her head and landed on Tigerpaw, who was right behind them. Skypaw breathed a sigh of relief and sped away from him before Swiftfoot could notice.

"Skypaw!" yowled Frostpaw, wrenching free of Tigerpaw's grasp and turning to Skypaw.

"Frostpaw!" Skypaw gasped. "What's happened to our Clans? Your warrior and her apprentice only crossed the border… But Swiftfoot's always so _fierce_…" This was a lie. And Skypaw knew the real reason why – but she didn't want to share it.

Frostpaw looked around at the wrestling cats. None of them seemed ready to give a kittenstep.

"These cats look ready to fight to the death..." he mewed slowly.

Skypaw blinked sadly. "That's a fight... that nobody's going to win."

"I don't understand..." Frostpaw murmured. "What... why...?" Obviously, Skypaw's untruth hadn't fooled him.

"It was... Rainstorm," Skypaw admitted heavily. She met Frostpaw's eyes briefly, but he quickly twisted around to lick a smear of Tigerpaw's blood off his coat. Skypaw flicked her ear, worried. "At the Gathering, B-Bramblestar heard... heard Rainstorm say to me... 'Goodbye, my brave kit'. He knows that WindClan have broken the warrior code, and he wants to punish them- um, _your_ Clan. And..." she bowed her head. "Not every cat trusts me anymore."

"And of course, Ashstar wants to avenge Mistycloud..."

Skypaw blinked. "Who's…?" Her question tailed away as she realised, and her eyes widened in shock. "We killed your leader's _m-_"

But she was cut of as suddenly, the two jumped at a yowl from behind them. "_Get away from her_!"

A black whirlwind of fur landed on Frostpaw. Skypaw gasped as she realized who it was.

"No! Tigerpaw, I'm fine!" she shrieked, but the black tom didn't seem to hear her. Frostpaw and Tigerpaw started wrestling and they were getting dangerously close to the lake...

There was a loud splash as the two young toms were drenched in lakewater. Tigerpaw hated water, Skypaw knew, but he was still continuing to fight with Frostpaw.

"Tigerpaw, stop!" Skypaw winced as she hit the water too. She paddled with all her might to the place where Tigerpaw and Frostpaw were still battling, and wrenched her Clanmate off her brother.

Tigerpaw stumbled backwards and fell over with a splash. He scrambled up, eyeing Frostpaw suspiciously. Both toms were breathing heavily. Skypaw's denmate was sporting a deeply scratched flank, while Frostpaw's ear had been torn.

"Stop!" Skypaw whispered passionately, her whiskers quivering. "Why won't you listen to me?"

"You can't get all matey with a cat from another Clan!" spat Tigerpaw, not taking his eyes off Frostpaw.

Skypaw looked at the lakewater swirling between her paws. "In the warrior code," she began in a low voice, "it says you may have friendships with cats from other Clans."

"But it also says that your loyalty must remain to your Clan." This time it was not Tigerpaw who spoke. Skypaw flinched as Bramblestar's gaze, blazing with rage, pierced her. She hadn't realized that her leader had joined the battle.

Every cat had stopped fighting. They were staring at her. Skypaw felt horribly insignificant.

"I-I'm sorry, Bramblestar," she mewed in a small voice.

"This time, sorry isn't good enough." Bramblestar's voice was cold.

"I don't want to see other cats hurt like that..."

"Very well then," Bramblestar mewed. His words rang out hollowly. "Be loyal to whoever you choose, as your loyalty is obviously not with us. You cannot devote yourself to the warrior code. If we find you on our territory after moonhigh, we will treat you like we would any enemy. Go, now."

Skypaw's eyes widened. She was being... _exiled_? "But RiverClan is my home!"

"It _was_ your home." Bramblestar's yellow gaze was unyielding. "This is your punishment, Skypaw."

Skypaw swallowed. Avoiding the shocked gazes that she knew were upon her, she slunk out of the lake, shook her pelt of the heavy drops that she hardly felt anymore, and left RiverClan territory forever.


	10. Unknown Shecat

**DISCLAIMER: =sighs= Again? 'K, you know the drill, I don't own warriors and everything...**

Unknown She Cat

Skypaw trudged heavily out of RiverClan territory. She was no longer a part of Clan life... Is this what StarClan had really wanted all along? For her to be a - she struggled to think the word - _rogue_.

She noticed every tiny stream, every budding flower she passed, with sharp intensity. All the things that she had taken for granted – they were gone from her life forever.

"Skypaw!" Skypaw turned, blinking, at the voice of her father. "Are you... are you okay?" He skidded to a stop in front of her, giving a shaky laugh. "Of course you're not. I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into Bramblestar. He's always had a temper, but…" He trailed off.

Skypaw couldn't look the creamy brown tom in the eyes, and spoke instead to his paws. "I'm sorry, Foxbramble."

"Don't be," he whispered. "_I _should be sorry. I should never have let it get out that you were related to Frostpaw..." He shook his head. "But what I really came here to tell you was... You shouldn't leave RiverClan without a proper warrior name. I know that I don't have the authority, but whatever Bramblestar says... you were worthy of one."

Skypaw felt sudden warmth spread up her body, from the tip of her tail to the tops of her ears. Everything that she had worked for during her brief time as an apprentice felt as though it had been for this moment. There was a roaring of blood in her ears, but she heard every word her father spoke as clear as the day.

"Go with your head held high..." he whispered quietly, resting his muzzle on her head, "Skystorm."

***

Despite her exile, Skystorm wanted to see the RiverClan camp one last time. She crept back across the grassy territory and stared with sorrow at the triangle of land that she loved.

She could just make out the dark-furred shape of Rainfur sharing tongues with Silverblaze just outside the warriors den. A rush of homesickness threatened to overwhelm her, and Bramblestar's sharp words rang in her ears.

_If we find you on our territory after moonhigh, we will treat you like we would any enemy. Go, now._

Without worrying where her paws were taking her, Skystorm stumbled quickly away from her old home before she could yowl in sadness.

She found that she had carried herself to WindClan territory. She felt oddly as though she was breaking the warrior code by straying onto another Clan's territory.

_But I have no Clan now, and no warrior code to guide me._ The truth of her exile struck her another dull blow.

She padded halfway across WindClan's barren terrain, not knowing what she was looking for. The black she-cat was starting to wonder what a rogue did. She thought about all the rogues she had heard about in the elders' tales.

_Tigerclaw was exiled because he tried to kill his leader... he became a rogue... then he joined forces with a band of ShadowClan rogues and tried to attack ThunderClan... _

_Brokenstar got exiled for killing young kits and forcing his Clan to eat crowfood… Oh, StarClan, aren't there any _good_ rogues?_

At that moment, she heard a few faint mews. She was approaching the WindClan camp! Skystorm gave a small start of surprise. She couldn't get close to any Clan at the moment - especially WindClan. If Ashstar knew the true reason why Bramblestar had attacked... Skystorm shivered. She didn't want Frostpaw and Rainstorm to be exiled, too.

As the sun started to set into the distance, Skystorm swiftly padded away from the moor, resolving to leave behind Clan life forever.

It was dark by the time Skystorm reached the reek of a small, but still dangerous, Thunderpath. Her paws ached from travelling so far, and her mind whirled with the day's events.

"Well, at least the Thunderpath will disguise my scent," she mewed out loud, albeit weakly, as she crawled under a dirty laurel bush to sleep for the night.

Sleep brought strange dreams. Lots of voices spoke at once.

"Skystorm, you're a warrior!" That was Starkit.

"Skystorm, you have to reach us!" That was Stormcloud.

"Skystorm..." A silvery she-cat swam into view. "Follow me..."

But Skystorm's black paws seemed to be made of rock. She dragged herself after the silver cat, but she was too tired. "I can't!" she yowled. "StarClan! Help me!"

She caught sight of a great rock with a small opening leading to darkness beyond before everything went black.

***

The black she-cat's eyes flew open. It was still dark, and the rancid odour of the Thunderpath was strong in her nose and mouth.

"What happened...?" she mumbled, trying to make sense of the dream. "Where could that place... Where could it be?"

But she had no clue, and the sun was high in the sky before Skystorm gave up and walked towards the sunrise, wondering where her destiny lay.


	11. Frostpaw

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Warriors, but I _do _own Rainstorm, Foxbramble, Skystorm, and Frostpaw! Yay!**

Frostpaw

Frostpaw couldn't sleep that night. He was too busy thinking about Skypaw. What was she going to do? Where was she going to live? It was all his fault... All his fault, for attacking that mousebrained Tigerpaw. _Although, it would be nice to put some of the blame on that idiotic tom, too…_

The next morning, Frostpaw frantically tried to join in with Moonkit and Mudpaw's excitement. Moonkit was having her apprentice ceremony, and Mudpaw was being made a warrior.

"Mudpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Mudpaw's voice quavered the tiniest bit with excitement.

"Then in accordance with the warrior code, I give you your warrior name. Mudpaw, from this moment you shall be known as Mudnose. StarClan honours your loyalty and perseverance, and welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

"Mudnose! Mudnose! Mudnose!" Frostpaw tried to sound enthusiastic. He could see Rainstorm having the same problem. The worst part was, they couldn't confide in any cat, because they couldn't look like they had had anything to do with it.

"And now, Moonkit." Ashstar mewed. "From this moment you shall be known as Moonpaw. Rainstorm, the time for your first apprentice was long ago. You have shown yourself to be a warrior pure of heart and loyalty. Pass on these qualities to Moonpaw."

Frostpaw's mother crossed the clearing and touched noses with Moonpaw, trying to look pleased and proud at the prospect of her first apprentice.

"Moonpaw! Moonpaw! Moonpaw!" The cry rang out.

Ashstar leapt off the Tallrock and the Clan dispersed. Rainstorm was trying her best to keep up with her eager new apprentice.

Frostpaw didn't know what to do. His mentor, Sunfire, had caught greencough, and so there was no cat to take him out hunting. If he wasn't feeling so worried about Skypaw, Frostpaw would have been sorry for about her. But at least _she_ still had a Clan, and a life to live.

"Hello, Frostpaw. What are you doing?" asked Rockfall.

Frostpaw jumped. He hadn't seen the former deputy coming from behind him. "Oh, hello, Rockfall." Frostpaw stammered, recovering swiftly and dipping his head to the elderly tomcat. "Well, my mentor's ill, and I'm not on elder duty. I'm not quite sure what I should do."

"Well, why don't you hunt?" suggested Rockfall. "We can never have too much fresh-kill."

"On my own?"

Rockfall shrugged. "I'm sure no harm will come of you. I'll tell Ashstar that I gave you permission."

"Yes, Rockfall." Frostpaw was grateful Rockfall had given him something to do.

Before long, Frostpaw had caught two plump rabbits. He was just about to drag them back to camp when an idea sprang to mind.

An idea that might get him exiled too.

But an idea that might prevent Skypaw from being harmed.

He didn't trust the imaginary 'StarClan' to keep her safe. Surely it was better if the two of them were together?

Surely...

***

Not much later, Frostpaw had buried his two rabbits, hoping that some cat might find them. His heart was pumping with the adrenaline of what he was doing.

Would Rainstorm be upset? But surely she would understand…? He had to do this.

He tried diverting his thoughts away from Rainstorm. _What now…? Wait. _Frostpaw sighed. He hadn't got a clue where he was meant to be heading.

"Let's see..." he thought aloud. "If I was an exiled - slightly nosy..." His whiskers twitched with the faintest amusement, "she-cat… where would I go?"

But no ideas came to him. He decided to just try and pick up her scent.

So the best place to start would be RiverClan territory.

***

Frostpaw picked up the shocked and muddled scent of his sister near to where the battle had been. He caught a trace of his own fear-scent, too, but the river had washed most of it away. Remorse rising like bile in his throat, he followed Skypaw's trail.

Near the WindClan border, another scent joined hers. Another sniff and he identified it as Foxbramble. The two had evidently stood there for a while. _Maybe he wanted to see her off properly…_ Frostpaw bent his head to draw in the scent further. _They must have really been close. _

As he opened his mouth and the smell touched his scent glands, Frostpaw realised he could just catch a faint scent coming from Skypaw... joy?

He followed the scent further into WindClan territory. It looked like she had circled the place for a fairly long time. The scent was filled with fear now. Evidently she had no idea what she was going to do as a rogue.

After about eleven circlings of the same area, the scent branched off, away from the moor. Frostpaw closely tracked Skypaw's scent to a Thunderpath. He wrinkled his nose as a monster sped past, kicking up clouds of stinking dust under its round black paws.

Coughing, Frostpaw turned away and tried to pick up her scent again.

But there was nothing. He could only catch the faintest trace of Skypaw, clearly having dashed across the Thunderpath. After that, the trail went cold.

It was clear that Skypaw had resolved to live life as an outcast.

But Frostpaw wasn't ready to give up yet. Looking nervously around, Frostpaw made a split-second decision and hurtled across the sticky black Thunderpath.

Shuddering, Frostpaw looked forward. He could see that on this side of the Thunderpath, there were two paths he could take.

One led to Twolegplace. The other led to tall, steep mountains.

Which one had Skypaw taken? Frostpaw blinked his amber eyes owlishly, worried that he would make the wrong choice.

Twolegplace meant possibly hostile kittypets, rats, and Twolegs. Mountains meant cold, freezing temperatures - but Frostpaw's coat was thick.

Hoping that he had made the right decision, Frostpaw headed for the mountains.


	12. Icepaw and Poppypaw

**DISCLAIMER: Do I own Warriors? Hmm, let me think about that... ... ... ... ... ... NO!**

Icepaw and Poppypaw

Icepaw's insides seemed to have disappeared. Bramblestar's amber eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Skypaw's bright yellow ones.

"This is your punishment, Skypaw."

Skypaw turned and slowly walked away, her tail dragging in the water behind her. Icepaw wanted to yowl out to her, but her voice had gone with her insides.

The WindClan cats started to file away. The apprentice Skypaw had pulled Tigerpaw off looked shocked and afraid.

At that moment, Foxbramble shot a furtive glance at Bramblestar and raced after his daughter.

"Good riddance!" Bramblestar caterwauled.

"Wha- what do you mean?" asked Ravenwing tentatively.

"Half-Clan good for nothing!" Bramblestar spat, by way of an answer. "Come. We will not become a group of kittypets, loners, and half-Clan cats, like those softhearted ThunderClan were so many moons ago!"

He swept his Clan away, back across the river.

Icepaw's insides had returned, and they were burning. _Half-Clan! Don't be so mousebrained... what in StarClan's name is Bramblestar mewing about?_

When the RiverClan cats returned to camp, Bramblestar held a Clan meeting. "You will all tell me who your parents are before moonhigh. Any cat who refuses, or has kittypet or half-Clan roots, will be exiled."

_Great StarClan!_ Icepaw thought in alarm. _Isn't that against the warrior code?_

"Ravenwing, who are your parents?" asked Bramblestar.

"Erm..." The deputy looked nervous. "Bluewish and Nightfur."

"Good." The leader moved on. "Whitefur, who are your parents?"

"Well, I believe they were Scarnose and Snowleaf," Whitefur mewed quietly, eyes fixed on her paws.

"What do you mean, you _believe_?" hissed Bramblestar, his eyes narrowing.

"Um, I mean, they were," Whitefur mewed quickly, her eyes flicking up to meet Bramblestar's for a heartbeat.

"Swiftfoot?"

"R-Redsky and Scarnose."

"Dawnflower?"

"Mousepool and Greywhisker."

"Rainfur?"

And so it went on. Icepaw trembled as Bramblestar coldheartedly set a terrified Wildpoppy aside, since he didn't know who his father was and his mother was dead, so she couldn't be asked.

At last, Bramblestar's hardened amber eyes found Icepaw.

"Icepaw, who are your parents?"

Icepaw trembled as she answered. "T-Tornclaw and... erm..."

"Yes?" Bramblestar's face was a mouselength away from Icepaw now.

The truth was, Icepaw didn't know who her mother was. Her father had 'found' her just outside camp when she was a newborn, and Hawkfire had nursed her. But Icepaw had a sneaking suspicion.

"Hawkfire," Icepaw lied. If she said who she really thought my mother was, we would both be exiled.

Icepaw glanced over at the only other white cat in the Clan since Tornclaw died.

She caught my eye, and both cats looked away quickly.

"Rockpaw?"

***

Two sunrises after Bramblestar exiled one of his apprentices, Poppypaw woke to find the left side of her pelt strangely cold.

Her jaws gaping in a yawn, Poppypaw looked past Specklepaw to where Frostpaw usually slept, expecting to see the familiar creamy brown mass.

Poppypaw shot up as she realised that it wasn't there.

She looked over at the apprentices more carefully. Specklepaw, Tallpaw, Oakpaw, Moonpaw... Poppypaw started panicking that Mudpaw was missing too, until she remembered that her name was Mud_nose_ now, and she slept with the warriors.

But there was still the worry of Frostpaw.

Trying to stay calm, Poppypaw tried to think logically. _Maybe he's just out hunting with his mentor... yes, that'll be it._

Then she remembered that Sunfire had greencough. She couldn't have taken Frostpaw out.

Maybe she'd asked another cat to take him out.

My heart thumping wildly, Poppypaw looked over at the warriors. Dawnlight was sleeping next to Wildheart, and Mayflower was mumbling in her sleep. Poppypaw's own mentor, mentor, Roseheart, had evidently just been woken up by her mewing, and was looking thoroughly irritated. Patchfur and Redpelt were sleepily sharing tongues, and Tigerface was sleeping silently with his head in his paws. Mudnose was sitting proudly in the middle of camp, sitting out her silent warrior vigil.

Greenfrost and Branchfoot were missing, but Poppypaw could see Greenfrost giving his daughter, Moonpaw, a serious lecture on How to be a Good Warrior, and the grey apprentice knew that Branchfoot would be in the nursery with his mate and kits.

Near the entrance to camp, Poppypaw could see the dawn patrol about to leave. Bluestone, Rainstorm, Nightfall, Runningwhisker, Hawkclaw, and Mosstail were all on it, and they had woken up a disgruntled Tallpaw to come too.

Poppypaw ran through all the warriors in her head. They were all in camp - well, at least until the dawn patrol left.

That meant that Frostpaw was still missing.

She quickly stuck her head into the medicine cat's den, wondering if maybe Frostpaw had been taken ill in the night, to see Sunfire sleeping peacefully near Featherflight. The two of them were the only cats in the den, and the gnawing worry in Poppypaw's belly grew.

She squeezed herself underneath the Tallrock to where Ashstar's den was.

"Um..." Poppypaw suddenly found herself under Ashstar's scrutinizing eye. She didn't quite know what to say.

Ashstar bent down to clean a wound on his flank with quick, delicate strokes. "Oh, Poppypaw, it's you... Is something wrong?"

"Yes." The words came spilling out in a panic, and she forgot about her awkwardness. "Frostpaw's missing. I've looked all over camp and I can't find him."

Ashstar rose from his position. "What? Missing?" he hissed, eyes darkening. For a heartbeat, Poppypaw shrank from him – he looked quite weak and afraid – but then Ashstar shook his head. "We must find him," he mewed urgently. "I don't know whether he's taken it into his head that he wants to go hunting, if he was kidnapped, or anything else, but WindClan cannot afford to lose any more warriors."

Poppypaw detected a note of sadness in his voice, and guessed he still felt devastated by the loss of Mistycloud. "What shall I do?"

"Ask the dawn patrol to keep an eye out," Ashstar instructed. "I'll lead a patrol of some more warriors to find him."

And with a swift nod, Ashstar exited the den.


	13. Rat

**DISCLAIMER: I've asked for Warriors for my birthday. Does that count?  
Erins: =shake head=**

Rat

Skystorm coughed as another stinking monster shot by. Twolegplace seemed to go on forever... she was starting to wish she had taken the path towards the mountains.

Night was falling. Skystorm's belly growled.

"It's no use complaining, there's no food here," Skystorm told her belly. Then she shook her head. "I'm talking to my own stomach..." She blinked. "And myself. Oh, great StarClan."

Yet another monster roared past, ruffling the black she-cat's fur. Skystorm sighed.

"Am I the only cat here?" she wondered aloud.

There was no answer. Skystorm had not been expecting one, but she was disappointed all the same.

Skystorm raised her eyes to the sky. There were no StarClan warriors watching over her. The thought made Skystorm feel more alone than ever.

Had even StarClan decided to abandon her?

***

That night, the dream from the previous night haunted her. But Skystorm got no further in discovering who the silvery she-cat was, or where she was supposed to be leading her. Skystorm awoke, panting hard as if she had just been running from a pack of dogs.

The sky was light pink, shot with gold. The sun was just creeping over the first row of stone Twoleg nests. Skystorm was hungrier than ever.

She sniffed the air, but there was no prey-scent. Except...

Skystorm opened her mouth to scent better. What was that? It smelled a little bit like mouse, only sour and more… aggressive, somehow.

Her eyes flew open in alarm as she heard a squeaking behind her and realized what the scent was.

Rat.

The rodents were pouring from all directions, their eyes dark slits in their evil, wedge-shaped faces. One rat jumped for Skystorm. She grabbed it by the scruff and tossed it away, but another rat bit her tail with its small, sharp teeth.

Skystorm yelped in pain and turned to shake it away, but three rats attacked her at once. Their sharp teeth stung with every bite, and if she managed to kill or stun one, about ten more seemed to appear, squealing with rage.

One rat bit Skystorm on the back leg. She kicked her leg and it flew away, but another rat was attacking her shoulder. As a heaving wave of rats crashed over her head, Skystorm buckled under their weight and finally blacked out.

***

Skystorm opened her eyes, feeling groggy.

"Ohhh..." she mumbled. "What... happened...?"

She paused to take in her surroundings. She appeared to be lying in a nest of woven twigs, on a squashy, furry… _thing_.

The black she-cat looked up. There was no sky, just a flat, cream-coloured roof. Trying to get up, she realised that her back leg was bound in a web of white stuff. And what was that smell...?

Sniffing the air again, Skystorm got almost as much of a shock as when the rats had started attacking. She realised where she was - inside a Twoleg nest.

The white web was stiff, and she couldn't move very well with it on. She looked around wildly for some mode of escape.

At that moment, a Twoleg kit entered the nest. It made a strange noise of delight as it rushed over to her and tried to pick her up.

Spitting in alarm, Skystorm was about to unsheathe her claws when she understood that the little Twoleg was making a purring sound and stroking her. It was only a kit... Skystorm didn't want to claw it.

A larger Twoleg entered. The Twoleg kit dropped Skystorm and rushed across the nest, mewing rapidly. The bigger Twoleg purred with laughter and mewed something back.

Although she could tell that these Twolegs meant no harm, Skystorm had no intention of becoming a pampered kittypet. She limped as swiftly as she could to the place where the Twolegs seemed to enter the nest and butted her head against it. It didn't move. Skystorm growled in irritation.

The Twoleg kit came over to her and purred. Stroking her, the little kit reached for a rock on the wall with its clumsy paws and turned it. The wall opened.

Feeling slightly sorry that the Twoleg couldn't find a cat who _wanted _to be a kittypet, but nonetheless relieved at her escape, Skystorm dashed away as fast as her three uninjured legs could carry her.

Once she was through the gate and out of sight, Skystorm stopped and tried to tear off the white web. It was tough, but she gnawed at it fiercely, and eventually the tattered web lay in pieces on the ground. Looking at the wound, she saw it wasn't too awful. She could even put weight on it without much pain.

When she looked back over her shoulder, she found that could see something in the distance. Something... something _green_. Narrowing her eyes, she looked closer. It was a tree! There was a forest up ahead. Twolegplace was almost at an end, and Skystorm felt as if she didn't care about the monsters that surrounded her as she almost forgot about her injured leg and raced towards the line of green.

***

Skystorm purred contentedly as she stepped off the last Thunderpath onto cool grass. It felt fantastic to have growing things soothing her pads again, and for a moment, she just stood there, her eyes closed in bliss.

Her belly gave a loud rumble.

"Okay, okay, I'll hunt," she assured her stomach, whiskers twitching with amusement.

Cocking her ears, Skystorm listened hard for the low gurgle of running water. To her delight, she found that there was a small brook up ahead. There were several dark shadows in the water, indicating that fish were present. Before she fished, Skystorm lowered her head and lapped up a few drops of cold water. It tasted delicious compared with the bitter-tasting puddles that she had experienced in Twolegplace.

Her mouth watering, the black she-cat landed a fish and killed it with a swift blow. It stopped flopping helplessly and Skystorm swiftly tucked in to the juicy fish. It was small, but Skystorm felt as though it was the best meal she had eaten in her life.

While grooming herself carefully, she mulled things over.

This forest was prey-rich, and seemed free of enemies like foxes and badgers, but something was tugging Skystorm away. Her dream had to mean _something_... After all, why would she dream repetitively about somewhere she had never visited if it meant nothing?

She decided she would leave the small forest to search for the huge rock with the tunnel leading from it. Who knew where it might be? But... perhaps it was StarClan's will. And however much Frostpaw insisted on their non-existence, Skystorm knew that she would never lose faith.


	14. Flight of Startled Heron

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah, I don't own Warriors. Nor do I own the the Clans, the mountains, Twolegplace, that little forest I mentioned earlier... There's a whole list.**

Flight of Startled Heron

Frostpaw opened his eyes. He was freezing, and shocked at himself for dozing off. StarClan knew where Skypaw might've got to by now.

Without paying any heed to the complaining in his belly, Frostpaw set off quickly up the first mountain.

***

_Come on, it's just a little jump… A _tiny _jump…_

Frostpaw opened his eyes a crack. The dizzying drop stretched out below her like the jaws of some huge, yawning monster. Frostpaw couldn't even see the bottom. The jump wasn't that big, and he knew that he would jump this far without thinking back at the lake, but still...

"It is a simple jump! What are you waiting for?" yowled a cross voice from the other side of the gorge. Frostpaw looked up to see a lithe cat, its pelt a dull brown-grey.

"Wha-"

"Jump, eaglefeather-for-brains!"

Screwing up his courage, Frostpaw felt his paws leave the rock. For a moment, he seemed to hang in midair, before landing on the other side.

The other cat was staring at him suspiciously. When Frostpaw looked more closely, he could see that the cats pelt was streaked with mud, hiding the real colour of her pelt.

"Who…?"

"Are you a friend?" asked the cat abruptly.

"I... I don't mean any harm," Frostpaw mewed nervously, still eyeing the other cat. "I just came looking for my sister. Has any other cat come this way recently...?"

"None but the cats of our Tribe," the cat answered. Looking him over, the cat proclaimed, "You do not seem like a threat. You are only the age of a to-be, and…" She sniffed the air, "you are alone."

Frostpaw's head was spinning. "_Tribe_? What… _Tribe_?"

The cat extended a paw. "Welcome to the Tribe of Rushing Water," she mewed, albeit cautiously. "I am Leaf That Falls From Tree. You may call me Leaf."

"Oh, um, well... I'm Frostpaw," Frostpaw mewed.

Leaf nodded briskly. "Come." She turned away and flicked her tail. "You should meet our Healer."

***

Leaf led Frostpaw across a rocky mountain path. A waterfall was roaring there. Frostpaw hesitated.

"Are you sure it's-"

"There is nothing to fear."

_Tribe cats must habitually cut other cats off whilst they're talking,_ thought Frostpaw, a little annoyed. _Or maybe it's just this cat._

Leaf disappeared through a small passage in the waterfall. Frostpaw, feeling apprehensive, followed.

When he realized what was behind the waterfall, Frostpaw gasped. It was a cavern, protected by the gushing waterfall. Cats, all of a small variety prowled around. There was a small pile of fresh-kill in the middle of it, and there seemed to be dens around the outside.

Then Frostpaw was visited by a strange, impossible idea - _this was a camp_.

"Mist- um, Stoneteller!" called Leaf, appearing to stumble over her words accidentally. Frostpaw blinked. The name stirred something in his memory. As a silvery grey she-cat appeared from a cave in the back, Frostpaw was jolted back to a memory in the elders' den.

_"We want to hear the story about Rainstorm and Fog!"_

_"Her name was Mist..."_

"You know my mother!" Frostpaw goggled at Mist for a moment. She tilted her head slightly, and instead of answering his question of sorts, asked one in return.

"Foxpaw?"

"Stoneteller..." said another cat quietly. "It can't be Foxpaw. He would be much older now."

"You are correct..." mewed Mist slowly.

"My name is Frostpaw," Frostpaw spoke up suddenly. "M-my father is Foxbramble. My mother is Rainstorm. Are you… are you Mist?" He was suddenly confused – these cats were calling her Stoneteller?

"Her name is now Teller of the Pointed Stones!" Leaf hissed, flattening her ears. "It is always that way when a new Healer is appointed!"

Frostpaw crouched low, afraid that he had offended these cats. "Sorry." _Stoneteller must be short for Teller of the Pointed Stones… Maybe it's like our leader taking on the 'star' bit when they become leaders._ Leaf glowered darkly and looked away.

"Fox... bramble? Rainstorm? It appears that they became warriors... They told me about that," mewed Stoneteller slowly, appearing not to have noticed Frostpaw and Leaf's exchange. "And you are their son?"

"Y-yes," Frostpaw said nervously.

"You look just like your father."

"Thank you." Frostpaw inclined his head, determined to stay polite. "But I can't stay long. I need to look for my sister... she looks like my mother...?" He didn't want it to sound like a question, but he couldn't keep the hopeful note out of his mew.

To his disappointment, Stoneteller shook her head. "I am sorry. I would have recognised a cat similar to Rainpaw anywhere. She and Foxpaw brought my life back together..."

It didn't occur to Frostpaw to correct the names. "I must have taken the wrong path, then!" he mewed in a panicked tone.

"Hush, small one," Stoneteller soothed, apparently not realising the scale of the situation. "Why don't you stay a while, in case your sister comes this way?"

"I... suppose it couldn't hurt..." mewed Frostpaw slowly, though he was still flicking his tail in anxiety. It was true that if he backtracked and went through Twolegplace, StarClan knew how far away Skypaw could be. And if these cats were willing to be hospitable...

"What was your sister's name?" asked Stoneteller curiously.

"Skypaw," answered Frostpaw. "And she's black. With yellow eyes."

"Just like Rainpaw..." Stoneteller mewed wonderingly. Frostpaw nodded, realising that he had confirmed out loud that Skypaw was his sister for the very first time.

_I suppose that there's no denying it now. Even if StarClan aren't real, _that_ bit was true, at least. _"Thank you very much."

"You are more than welcome," Stoneteller nodded. "You can sleep in the to-be's den." She waved her tail towards a den to the right. When Frostpaw looked confused, she purred in amusement. "Oh, I forgot. You say apprentices."

Frostpaw nodded with relief – so _that_ was what Leaf had meant when she had called him a to-be earlier! - and then padded over to the place Stoneteller had motioned to.

"We heard what Stoneteller said," one of them, a grey tabby, mewed abruptly, not even giving him time to introduce himself.

"You're only a to-be?" gasped another, a light brown tom, a quiver of humour playing on his whiskers. "You're _way_ big!"

Frostpaw scowled. He had perhaps expected a warmer reception after Stoneteller's welcome, but maybe all of these cats were going to be more like Leaf.

"Don't mind Moon." The tabby shook her head and rolled her eyes. "He's a little rude to strangers."

"Hey!" the brown cat, evidently called Moon, mewed, all traces of amusement gone.

"I'm Flight of Startled Heron," mewed the tabby, doing the odd paw gesture. She ignored Moon. "I'm going to be a cave-guard. And this is Moon That Shines on Cavetop."

When Moon did nothing but look sulky, Flight continued, with another roll of her eyes, "He's going to be a prey-hunter."

"What do you mean?" asked Frostpaw, puzzled. "What's a cave-guard? And what's a prey-hunter?"

"Don't _you _have prey-hunters and cave-guards?"

"No..." Frostpaw shook his head, and decided that a proper introduction was in order. "I'm Frostpaw of RiverClan. If you're in a Clan, the warriors share all the duties, like patrolling and hunting."

"Really?" asked Flight. "Well, the Healer of our Tribe-"

"That's like a leader, right?"

"Kind of... but Mist interprets signs from the Tribe of Endless Hunting, our ancestors, too."

_Hmm... I guess Mist is like a leader and a medicine cat. That's a lot of power... And they say that all power corrupts,_ Frostpaw thought, but Flight was still speaking.

"Anyway, when we're born, the Healer of our Tribe determines whether we've got the build for a prey-hunter or a cave-guard. You'd be a cave-guard," she observed, looking at Frostpaw's strong build.

"This is weird..." Frostpaw muttered to himself. Then he said to Flight, "Are there any other appren- sorry, I mean, to-be's?"

Flight nodded. "There's... Flash of Sun on Water... he's going to be a prey-hunter... Star That Glimmers in the Night... she'll be a cave-guard like me... oh yes, and Dawn After Stormy Night. She's training to be a prey-hunter with Flash and Moon."

"So..." Frostpaw worked it out in his head. "There's you, Flight, and there's Moon, Flash, Star, and Dawn?"

Flight nodded. "You're quick." Frostpaw couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not – after all, there were only five of them.

"I come from a much bigger Clan than this," Frostpaw admitted. "The apprentices are me, Specklepaw, Poppypaw-" He stopped. Thinking about his Clan was painful.

"Do you miss them?" asked Flight softly. Frostpaw nodded quickly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"But I have to find Skypaw," he meowed. "That's why I left. I _have_ to make sure she's alright."


	15. Jay

**DISCLAIMER: Yes, I own Warriors. I joke. I really kill myself sometimes... =bleak laugh=**

Jay

Skystorm sniffed the air. There was just a faint trace of scents mingling... prey, and a Twoleg with his dog.

But wait... As Skystorm paused to scent more closely, she noticed that the scent of dog was fairly recent... why would that be?

Cocking her ears, Skystorm heard something that she was sure that she had mistaken. A... bark?

Skystorm ignored it and continued walking. She was just paranoid, and she didn't want to be trapped again. Of course there was nothing that was going to hurt her.

She was approaching a Thunderpath, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. How could Twolegs stand those things?

No - there was that barking again. Skystorm remembered seeing several dogs as she passed a Twoleg nest earlier... Could their Twoleg possibly have untied them?

The barking was getting closer. Skystorm started shaking. There was no kidding herself that the dogs were figments of her imagination now – they certainly existed. She had never met a dog before, but she had heard descriptions of them from the RiverClan warriors. When they spoke of them, there was always fear in their mew.

It was definitely a dog - a large one, by the sound of it. Skystorm didn't have time to think about it anymore - she could hear the thudding of the brute's clumsy pawsteps on the earth.

The black she-cat shot up a tree. Trembling with fear, she watched a great brown dog sniff around the tree for a while, growling like rolling thunder. Skystorm prayed to StarClan that the dog wouldn't see her.

The dog barked loudly. It had located Skystorm's scent, and it was barking up the tree that she had clawed her way up, its beady black eyes fixed on her.

Skystorm squeaked in fright. Thinking fast, Skystorm hoped desperately that her only idea wasn't mousebrained. Unsheathing her claws, she jumped from the tree and clawed at the dog's head, hoping to confuse it. She was lucky - her strategy seemed to work. The dog growled in pain. It didn't seem to be able to see anything.

The dog shook its head. With a great cry of surprise, Skystorm was thrown several tail-lengths to the left, and she squeezed her eyes shut in pain. The wound that the rats had attacked had opened again and was bleeding freely. Skystorm could hear the dog growling as it advanced on her.

Despite a stabbing pain on her shoulder, Skystorm scrambled to her paws and dashed to her right. Opening her eyes a slit, she realized with a jolt of horror that she had rushed onto the Thunderpath.

Before she could react, she heard a squeal of great black paws over a roaring in her ears. There was a sharp pain in her side, and she shut her eyes tightly shut in fear. She could hear the slavering dog, the roar of the Thunderpath, her heart hammering in her chest, and some other voices, maybe in Skystorm's own head, crying, 'Skystorm! Skystorm!'

Everything was a whirl of feeling and sound for a heartbeat, before a yowl of pain left her jaws and everything went black.

***

"Wake up. Please, wake up."

"Urrrgh..." Skystorm opened one eye. A sleek black tom with a white dash on his chest was standing over her.

"Oh, you're awake! Thank goodness," the cat nodded, sounding relieved.

"What in StarClan's name is going on here?" Skystorm asked, feeling just as disorientated as she had when she had woke in the Twoleg nest. She tried to stand, but she grimaced as a spasm of pain shot through her leg.

"You'll damage that leg even more, you know." The cat swept his tail across her shoulders. "Sit down."

Skystorm blinked and glanced around at where she had ended up. She seemed to be in a massive Twoleg nest – but without the scent of Twolegs. There was simply a smell of dry grass and a warm odour of prey.

Skystorm swept her tongue around her jaws. She hadn't eaten in a couple of days, and that had only been a small fish.

"I hunted before you came round," the cat mewed, perhaps sensing her hunger, and gesturing at a dead mouse with his tail.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am."

Skystorm sank her teeth into the juicy flesh, tearing off strips and relishing the taste.

"My name's Jay," the black tom introduced himself while she ate.

"I'm Skystorm," Skystorm told him. She hesitated in her chewing. "And, excuse me, but... where are we?"

"We're in my barn," Jay explained. "My whole family has lived here for generations. Let's see... the first of my family to live here was... a cat named Ravenpaw. He came from a Clan."

"A Clan?" Skystorm was startled. Jay nodded.

"Yes, but they left, because the Twolegs were tearing up their territory. I don't think Ravenpaw knew where they went."

"But - I come from a Clan!" Skystorm mewed excitedly, forgetting her mouse.

"You do?"

"Yes, we live by a lake now."

"So why aren't you with them?" asked Jay curiously.

"Oh, I, erm..." Skystorm mumbled, casting her eyes down. She should have known that this topic of conversation would crop up. "I got exiled from my Clan."

Jay's blue eyes widened in surprise. "What did you do?"

"I betrayed my Clan."

Jay obviously realised that she didn't want to say any more, because he changed the subject quite hastily. "Well, anyway, I was out by the Thunderpath when I saw you lying there. I thought you were dead," he added shakily, his pupils dilating as he seemed to remember the sight. "But I brought you back here, because I could _just_ see you breathing."

Skystorm nodded. "Thank you," she meowed sincerely. "Really, I owe you my life. But I actually… I can't stay long." Her mew was awkward. "I kind got a dream from StarClan – do you know what StarClan is?"

"Oh, yes." Jay nodded. "StarClan's been passed down in kit stories for _ages_."

"Oh, well, good." Skystorm's tail-tip twitched. "I think I need to get to this, um... big rock." Skystorm didn't quite know how to describe it. "And it has a black hole in it, and you can't see the bottom..."Her mew turned apologetic as she realised how mousebrained she must sound, but Jay flicked his tail thoughtfully.

"I think I know a place like that..." he mewed slowly.

Skystorm's attitude changed entirely - she jumped up as quickly as her injured leg would allow, hardly daring to believe it.

"Are you serious?" she gasped. When Jay nodded, she yowled, "Let's go!" and turned to leave. But Jay shot her down.

"Rest your leg first," the black and white tom ordered. "_Tomorrow_ I will take you to Highstones."

"Fine." Skystorm lay down again, her mind buzzing. _Highstones... StarClan, is this the place you wanted me to go?_


	16. Eagle

**DISCLAIMER: I own Warriors.  
OTHER PERSON - You're lying.  
ME - I never lie! ... Well, I was lying when I said I never lie, and I don't own Warriors either...**

Eagle

"No, like this!" Flight hissed. Frostpaw itched to jump forward and catch the mouse, but he stayed where he was. His mouth watered. _Why don't we just _catch _the StarClan-accursed thing?_

Frostpaw was learning the Tribe's territory. He had felt bad about eating all their fresh-kill and not helping catch any, so Flight had agreed to show him the ways of the mountain.

Flight kept her eyes fixed on the mouse. Frostpaw glanced upwards as a shadow passed overhead.

It was a huge bird. Frostpaw shrank back, but it was clear that the bird wasn't interested in him, as it swooped down and grabbed the mouse in its massive talons. That was when Flight flicked her tail and leapt forward, onto the back of the bird.

_What in StarClan's name…? _Frostpaw scrambled backwards in surprise. But Flight didn't seem to be feeling any pain.

"Come on, thistledown-for-brains!" the Tribe to-be yowled impatiently. "Do you want caught-prey or not?"

Feeling foolish, Frostpaw hastened to follow her. _I knew that… _he lied to himself, with an amused flick of his ears.

The bird was attempting to take off, with Flight still hanging on, but Frostpaw sank his claws into the bird's neck. Writhing and screeching, Flight finished it off with a sharp nip.

"It's an eagle. This way, you get the mouse too, you see?" Flight mewed calmly, as if she had done nothing more interesting than wash her paws.

"That's quite clever, actually..." Frostpaw said thoughtfully, wishing to lead the subject away from his lack of knowledge of the Tribe's ways.

"Okay, let's take this caught-prey back to camp," Flight decided, sinking her jaws into the dead eagle's wing and beginning to drag it across the rocks.

Frostpaw nodded, and sprang forward to help her.

***

"Well done, you two!" Stoneteller praised them both. "Flight, you make an excellent tutor, although you are only a to-be."

Flight's eyes shone. "Thank you, Stoneteller!" she gasped.

"You've earned a rest. Take something from the caught-prey pile."

Frostpaw took the mouse from the still-snarling eagle's claws – he found it a bit creepy to be eating such a _large_ bird – and settled down to eat it.

It wasn't so awful being a Tribe cat... and yet... Frostpaw chewed his mouse, trying to put his paw on it. He felt a strange tugging at his paws that told him to go and look for Skypaw.

"You stupid, mousebrained sister," he muttered. "Your fault. I blame you."

"What? Who are you talking to?" asked Flight, sitting down next to him. Frostpaw hastily pushed his half-eaten mouse towards her, remembering just in time the Tribe's tradition of sharing food. He had learned this the previous morning, and he didn't wish to repeat the experience of every cat gasping at him in shock as though he had mortally offended their ancestors.

"Nothing... just worried about Skypaw."

Flight delicately nibbled the mouse and pushed it back to Frostpaw. "That's only natural. She's your sister, after all."

"Mmn..." Frostpaw took a bite out of the mouse and chewed it carefully. "There wasn't much brotherly-sisterly bonding going on between us, mind you…" He sighed. This did not take away from the fact that he felt responsible for her. "I think I have to leave, Flight. I don't feel right just sitting here while Skypaw's just out there, unprotected."

"But what about the Tribe of Endless Hunting? They'll protect her, will they not?"

"The what?" asked Frostpaw, puzzled. Flight had mentioned the Tribe of Endless Hunting the previous night, but he hadn't been paying much attention – to be honest, he had dismissed it as the same confusing rubbish that most of the Tribe seemed to spurt. He had realised that they didn't appear to be capable of speaking in a clear, concise fashion – they had to go on and on in an incredibly garbled way.

Flight gasped, looking scandalised. "You have never heard of the Tribe of Endless Hunting?"

"Hush, Flight," meowed a black she-cat with a white tail-tip. "Frostpaw comes from a Clam. He most likely has different ancestors, like... the Clam of Endless Hunting."

"I come from a _Clan_," Frostpaw corrected her, mildly amused by her serious tone when talking about _Clams_. "But if you're talking about ancestors, my Clan knows StarClan."

"So they can protect your sister, can they not?"

"Um, well, sure, but..." Frostpaw was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable.

"But what?" Flight tilted her head curiously.

"Well, I don't believe in StarClan," Frostpaw whispered to her quickly.

"You _don't_-"

Frostpaw slapped his tail over Flight's mouth quickly. "Shhhhh!" he urged her. He stood up quickly. "Come with me!"

Looking confused, Flight dipped her head to the black she-cat. "Thank you, Storm," she stuttered, still looking slightly shellshocked, before following Frostpaw.

Once they were out of hearing range of the other cats, Frostpaw let Flight speak.

"How can you _not_ believe in the Tr- I mean, StarClang? Who do you go to for advice when you have problems? What if your healer makes _you_ a healer? Then the Tribe of- sorry, StarClang, won't be able to get to you!"

She seemed to go on for moons, her eyes wide and frightened. When she had finally run out of steam, Frostpaw mewed. "Firstly, I don't believe in them, because I think - I _know_ - that if they're not here, they're not anywhere. Secondly, when I have problems, I go to my leader, medicine cat, or mentor. Thirdly, we don't have a healer, we have a leader and a medicine cat, and our leader doesn't have an apprentice that takes over when he or she dies, they have a deputy. And lastly, it's called Star_Clan_, not Star_Clang_." He allowed himself a purr of amusement, but then caught Flight's expression and reverted back to seriousness. "I'm sorry, Flight. But to me, StarClan is no more than a nursery tale to lure kits into being good."

Flight still looked worried. She seemed to be trying to find another problem.

"Come on, Flight, lighten up!" Frostpaw mewed, more cheerfully. "It's not the end of the world."

"I suppose you're right..." Flight mewed slowly. She butted Frostpaw's flank with her head. "You really _do_ have thistledown for brains." When Frostpaw started to protest, Flight cut him short with a roll of her eyes. "Listen, just don't blame _me_ when your Clan – see, I got it right this time! – when your Clan's left with a healer with no clue."

Frostpaw purred.

"So, are we going to go soon?" inquired Flight.

"Go where?" asked Frostpaw, confused once again.

"To find your sister, of course," Flight mewed, looking at him as though it were obvious.

Frostpaw started. "Okay, okay, okay, just wait _one_ heartbeat. You're not coming!" He hadn't meant to say it so sharply, but the shock that Flight thought she was going with him was flabbergasting.

"What?" Flight looked crestfallen. "But… why not?"

"Because you have a perfectly good life here at the Tribe!" Frostpaw mewed. "And I can't drag you into this – you might never get back here, not to mention the fact that Stoneteller would take my pelt. It isn't your fault that Skypaw was exiled, it's mine!"

"I don't care," replied Flight obstinately. "I need to help you, Frostpaw. And..." Flight seemed to be searching for a good counter argument. "And... You need my knowledge of the mountains!"

"I can find my way on my own!" Frostpaw bluffed, knowing perfectly well that he couldn't.

"_Right_." Flight's mew dripped with sarcasm. "Remind me where we hunted earlier, again? I _can't remember_."

"Oh, well…" Frostpaw squinted through the mist that had accumulated while they had been inside the cave. "That way?" he tried, pointing left with his tail.

"Actually, it was over there," Flight mewed, waving her tail in the opposite direction. She glared at him. "Admit it, Frostpaw. You _need_ me."

Frostpaw sighed. He couldn't quarrel with that logic. "Well…"

"Great, it's settled, then," Flight interrupted him. "I'm going to get a good night's sleep. I shall see you in the morning, and we shall leave before dawn, when every cat is still asleep."

She bounded happily back into the cavern, eyes shining with the prospect of an adventure. Frostpaw sighed, letting out a groan. "I've just gotten a Tribe to-be involved in this mess," he muttered.


	17. Oakheart

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Warriors... yet.**

Oakheart

"Skystorm!" hissed Jay's voice.

"Huh...?" Skystorm opened her eyes. For a fraction of a heartbeat she wondered where she was - then she remembered the previous day's events. She was finally going to find out what the strange tunnel led to! Skystorm's heart soared.

"Come on, let's get going," Jay mewed as Skystorm awakened. "Highstones isn't that far from here, but we need to remember to avoid all the Twolegs."

Skystorm had no idea what he meant, but she found out as soon as she stepped outside the warm barn.

She could barely see the sky for all the huge Twoleg nests which had been built up over the Clan's ancient territory. A gust of rancid wind buffeted her pelt as a monster shot past on one of the Thunderpaths that seemed to be everywhere.

"It's terrible," Skystorm whispered, eyes widened in shock. "Where's the sky? And the trees? How can you see the stars…?"

"It's a bit... erm... overwhelming when you first look at it," Jay admitted. "This bit you can see here used to be WindClan territory."

Skystorm's jaws fell open. "You... really?" she mewed weakly. _They lived on an open moor, I was always told…_

Jay nodded. "But Highstones is still here," he mewed optimistically, clearly trying to boost his own spirits as well as hers. "It's over there." He waved his tail in a very general way, and padded away confidently, averting his eyes from the sight. Tearing her eyes away from the Twoleg nests, Skystorm followed him.

***

"Just here..." Jay climbed over the first small rock which led to Highstones. Skystorm squinted into the distance. She could just make out a huge mountain with a pitch black hole carved into it.

"That's it!" she cried excitedly, forgetting the Twoleg nests. "That's the place from my dream!"

She charged up the rocky ground as swiftly as her paws would carry her.

"Skystorm!" cried Jay, but he didn't sound angry or worried, only amused by her enthusiasm. "Wait for me!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" Skystorm purred, and she bounded away, towards the largest mountain.

When she arrived there, she stopped and stared into the black hole. Jay scrambled up to her, panting, but he too stopped, transfixed.

"Mothermouth..." he breathed. "That's what they call this mountain... I've never been here, but my mother always said…"

"Mothermouth..." Skystorm echoed, taking a step forward. The darkness threatened to swallow her, but she didn't feel afraid. There was just a feeling of_... safety_ here, a sense that nothing was going to hurt her.

"Erm... maybe I'll stay out here..." Jay mewed nervously, obviously feeling more threatened by the blackness than she was. "Keep watch, you know?"

Skystorm purred, knowing full well that he was frightened – the subtle fear-scent gave it away. "Don't worry," she mewed. "You don't have to come."

"Thanks, Skystorm." Jay sounded relieved.

Skystorm purred again and headed deeper into the tunnel. It was something about the size of a fox would have made, though she couldn't scent any enemies at all.

It was so dark that Skystorm couldn't see her paws in front of her. She wondered if she would be able to see them had she been a white cat. She could feel, though - the ground was hard and earthy, and she could feel her paws slipping into pawmarks left by cats generations ago. The original Clans. Skystorm couldn't suppress a shiver of excitement.

At last, when Skystorm was beginning to wish that she had stayed with Jay and never come to this place at all, the tunnel began to lengthen out. It was getting slightly lighter, too - she could just make out the silhouettes of her paws. Skystorm opened her jaws. _Fresh air!_ She could definitely taste it. But how could there be fresh air in a tunnel?

Her paws pounding on the rocky earth, she ran on until she burst out in a large cavern. There, her eyes became as round as full moons.

"Wow."

It was a huge, white rock, twinkling in the light the fading sun sent in from a hole in the roof. Skystorm blinked. "It's amazing..." she murmured to herself.

Then, by an impulse she didn't understand, Skystorm walked slowly forward and placed her nose on the rock, shutting her eyes.

It was so cold that she withdrew her nose at once. "StarClan, this is cold!" she exclaimed, opening her eyes again. What she saw made her head spin. She was standing on an island just off a bank of a river. The island was surrounded by softly rustling reeds. "Where am I?" she wondered aloud.

"This is the old RiverClan camp," mewed a voice from behind her. Skystorm jumped around to see a large cat with bracken-coloured fur.

"Who are you?" asked Skystorm suspiciously, beginning to fluff out her fur in case this cat was a threat.

"My name is Oakheart."

Skystorm nearly fell over her own paws in amazement. "_The _Oakheart? The one that died in battle with ThunderClan? Like, _that_ Oakheart?" Her voice rose to a squeak.

Oakheart nodded. "Yes. Like, _that_ Oakheart." He gave a tiny purr.

"Oh." Skystorm made her fur lie flat at once. "Wow. Well, er… hi." She wasn't quite sure what she should say. "W-why have you brought me here?" she blurted out.

"Skystorm, you have rediscovered the Moonstone," Oakheart murmured, his amber eyes on hers. "You see, there were a few StarClan cats who refused to make the journey to new territory. I was one of them."

"You - you wh-what?" spluttered Skystorm, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "Refused to go? But why?"

"Because I believed that the Clans could survive in what was left of their territory." Oakheart hung his head. "I was wrong. There was a fight - for a while the forest was shaken to its roots - but eventually we came to a decision. Those willing would go. Those unwilling would stay."

"Who stayed?"

Oakheart sighed. "At first, eight cats stayed. Swiftpaw, Snowfur, Mosskit, Whiteclaw, Silverstream, Cinderfur, Raggedstar, and I. But eventually..." he gave another heavy sigh. "They all gave up. They left alone for the new territory, even my… even my Mosskit…" His mew tightened, and Skystorm looked away. She only looked back when Oakheart's mew returned to normal. "I stood alone. But now I feel that there is nothing left for me here anymore... I communicated with my daugher, Mistyfoot. She sent the message to you in a dream. I need some cat to lead me to my new home. Because… I don't know _how_."

Skystorm's mouth opened and closed like a fish. "M-me? But I'm not anything special like that!"

"Wrong," mewed Oakheart gently. "You adapted to the fact that you suddenly had a brother. You adapted to the fact that your mother was from a different Clan. You kept your faith in StarClan - and you were loyal to your kin, even when he showed no loyalty towards you."

Skystorm said nothing, feeling as though she was drowning under the waves in the lake. _Oh, the lake. Great StarClan, I wish I was there now. I wish that none of this had never happened._

"Skystorm, you have to lead me to the new territory," meowed Oakheart urgently. "Please."

_…and I'll be able to go _home_._

Skystorm looked up, fresh determination in her eyes. "Okay."


	18. Milk

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Warriors, Firestar would send more time with Sandstorm and have more fun!**

Milk

"So, when are we going to get there?" asked Flight chirpily. Frostpaw shrugged, mildly annoyed by her early-morning perkiness.

"Well, seeing as I don't even know where 'there' is, I have no idea when we're going to get 'there'."

"Oh, okay..." Flight mewed, perhaps noticing his sullen attitude.

It was just before dawn. The sun was slowly creeping up behind the mountains, and the two cats had just left the Tribe.

Frostpaw sniffed the ground carefully. "I can't pick up any scent of Skypaw... she probably did go through Twolegplace after all..."

Flight looked at him, dismay colouring her expression. "You don't mean..."

"We're going to Twolegplace, Flight."

***

"Frostpaw... I'm scared," Flight whispered, her amber eyes large, staring at the masses of Twoleg nests that surrounded them.

"Don't worry," Frostpaw mewed comfortingly. He felt so responsible for her... even though she was... Frostpaw stopped. How old _was_ Flight? "Flight... how old are you?"

"Sixteen moons," replied Flight, looking slightly confused. Frostpaw gaped.

"Flight... you do know that I'm only eight moons old, don't you?"

"_Eight moons_? You're only _eight moons_?" Flight mewed in shock. "But... you're about the same size as me!"

"Tribe cats are really small, I think..." Frostpaw mewed thoughtfully. "There are a lot of cats back home bigger than yours in the Tribe..." He shrugged. "Maybe you were just built like miniature WindClan cats."

They jumped as a monster roared past them.

"Let's keep going."

***

Frostpaw stopped to drink in the scent of the air around them. Trying to ignore the overwhelming Twoleg stench, Frostpaw could just about smell prey.

"Do you smell that?" he whispered.

Flight sniffed, her nose screwed up in disgust. "Not really..."

"Come on." Frostpaw rushed towards the faint scent. It was coming from a Twoleg nest. Cautiously, Frostpaw crept past the gate, ignoring his instincts. If there was food here, he was going to get it.

The entrance to the nest was open, and a Twoleg was standing there. The Twoleg padded towards Frostpaw and Flight, stomping a lot more loudly than Frostpaw thought was wholly necessary.

Alarmed, Frostpaw drew back his ears and hissed. To his surprise, the Twoleg retreated back into the nest.

"Do you think I scared it away?" asked Frostpaw, drawing himself up and puffing out his chest. He couldn't help feeling slightly proud.

Flight didn't look quite so sure. "I don't know..." she mewed, a bewildered expression on her face.

However, the Twoleg soon reappeared, with something in its clumsy paws. The Twoleg put it down on the ground, making odd little cooing sounds.

Flight sniffed it.

"Careful!" mewed Frostpaw in alarm.

"I am being careful..." she replied distractedly.

It was some strange white liquid, sitting on a hard white leaf.

Before Frostpaw could stop her, Flight had plunged her muzzle into it.

"Flight, that's kittypet food!" Frostpaw mewed, appalled. Flight emerged, the fur on her muzzle plastered to her face.

"But it tastes good!" Flight answered. "It's..." She licked her muzzle experimentally. "Frostpaw, it's milk!"

"Really?" Frostpaw's curiosity got the better of him and he padded over to take a look. "Like, the stuff you suckle from your mother?"

"Tastes like it," Flight mewed, shrugging. "Try it!"

_Well, I suppose there's nothing else to eat out here... I know that the warrior code forbids us from living like kittypets, but StarClan wouldn't be angry if they knew that there was nothing else to stop us from starving..._ He blinked. _Mousebrain. StarClan don't exist._

Frostpaw lowered his muzzle and lapped up a few drops.

"It _is_ milk!" he mewed in surprise.

"Well, did you think I was lying, you stupid furball?" purred Flight. Frostpaw purred back, and drank some more.

"Okay, that's quite enough," he meowed quickly, stepping. "Now, let's go."

"Okay..." Flight mewed regretfully. Frostpaw wasn't thrilled with the way that she glanced longingly back at the milk, but then again, they _were_ hungry.

Frostpaw opened his jaws and scented the air again. What he smelt almost made him jump out of his fur.

"What?" asked Flight, noticing how rigid he had become. Frostpaw mewed one word, not looking at her. His jaw was set.

"Skypaw."


	19. Mouse

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Warriors, Hollyleaf would stop worshipping the warrior code!**

Mouse

Skystorm was rather nervous. She was supposed to be leading an ancient cat back to his starry Clanmates... No easy feat. Still, she had been chosen. She supposed that she should feel honoured.

Jay was still waiting for her outside Mothermouth. "So, how was it?" he asked.

Skystorm wasn't sure how to answer. "Overwhelming," she mewed eventually. "There was this... Oakheart... I have to lead him..." She gestured wildly with her tail to try and illustrate what she had seen. "So I have to go back," she ended lamely.

The sleek-furred black tom looked a little confused. "Didn't _quite_ get that..." he mewed. "Why do you have to go back?"

"Because I have to lead one of my RiverClan ancestors back to the lake so he can reunite with the rest of StarClan!" Skystorm burst out. Then she ducked her head, feeling a little embarrassed. It did seem very far-fetched.

To her surprise, Jay nodded. "Okay," he said simply. "I guess you have to."

"Oh..." Skystorm had just realised something. Jay wouldn't be coming. Despite the fact that she had known him less than two sunrises, she knew that she would feel oddly lonely without him. "Jay... I was wondering... would you...? I mean, do you want to...? I mean, it's completely fine if you don't, it was just an idea..."

"Spit it out," Jay mewed.

"Do you want to come with me? If you don't, that's fine too," Skystorm added quickly. "I just thought I would-"

"I'd love to!" Jay interrupted, his eyes lighting up as though he had been just waiting for her to ask. "No offense to my ancestors, but I _hate_ living in that barn! Ever since my mother died, it's been really… really lonely. That's why I go out so much. And I've always been curious about the stories my mother used to tell about the Clans."

Skystorm purred, elated. "Well, Oakheart won't wait forever! Let's go!"

***

"I wonder how he's following us?" Skystorm wondered after a while. They had left the Clans' old territory and were padding across a large field. "Oakheart, I mean."

"Oh, yeah..." mewed Jay wonderingly. "Maybe he's walking in the sky, or something...? No, I've got nothing."

Skystorm's belly suddenly gave a loud growl. "Looks like my belly's thinking about other things!" she purred.

"Let's hunt," Jay agreed.

There was no stream nearby, but Skystorm could smell mouse. Trying to remember back to when she had once spotted a ThunderClan hunting patrol, she dropped into a crouch.

"Not like that, mousebrain!" Jay laughed. "Are you _trying _to look like a wounded badger?"

Skystorm sat up and pawed the ground, embarrassed. "Well, I mainly hunt fish..." she mewed defensively.

"Here, let me show you," Jay offered. He smoothly fell into the hunters' crouch, and stepped forward lightly towards a field mouse ahead. Careful not to snap any twigs or let any leaves rustle, he waited a fraction of a heartbeat, pounced, then made his kill. "See?" he mewed through a mouthful of mouse.

"You're very good," Skystorm praised him.

"Do you want this one?" inquired Jay, dropping his catch on the ground. "I can catch another one."

"No, I'll do it." The black she-cat was determined to catch her own prey.

Attempting to copy Jay, she padded carefully towards a small mouse.

"Step lightly!" Jay warned her. "Mice can feel your pawsteps before they even smell you!"

Skystorm flicked her ears to show that she had acknowledged his words before lifting her paws silently off the earthy ground and approached her victim.

She paused for a heartbeat and then leaped to make her kill. She mouse gave a frightened squeal and tried to escape, but Skystorm managed to pin it down with one paw and kill it with a swift bite to the neck.

"I waited too long, didn't I?" she asked.

"Don't worry," Jay mewed. "You caught it, and that's the main thing." His eyes were soft.

Skystorm purred, heartened by his encouragement. "Thanks, Jay." She crouched down to eat her meal. "I feel like you're my mentor or something!"

Jay purred, too. "Did you have a mentor in your Clan?"

The black rogue nodded. "It was my father."

"Do you... miss your Clan?"

Skystorm gave her mouse a quick bite before answering. "I'm not sure... I definitely did at first, but now... I don't know. I miss my brother... Only that seems a bit mousebrained, 'cause I didn't know he _was_ my brother a moon ago…"

"You have a brother?"

"Mmn-hmm. His name's Frostpaw. He's a bit snappy, and he doesn't think much of she-cats, but still... I know I can trust him." Skystorm sighed. "Sometimes I miss Frostpaw so much I can almost scent him." She sniffed the air hopefully. "Like now."

Jay opened his mouth and drew in the air. "But... I can smell cats, too."

Skystorm jumped up as though a monster had shot past. She sniffed the air again. "That _is_ Frostpaw!" she cried in surprise. "Why is he here?"

"I don't-" began Jay, but Skystorm had already shot off. Forgetting his half-eaten mouse, Jay followed.

"_Frostpaw_!" yowled Skystorm. "Are you there?" Part of her told her that she was kidding herself, that there was no cat there, obviously not…

Straining her ears, she heard a faint mew.

"Skypaw...!"


	20. Arguments

**DISCLAIMER: Seriously, does it look like I own Warriors? Because I don't.**

Arguments

"_Skypaw_!!!" Frostpaw yowled at the top of his lungs.

Flight winced, flattening her ears against her head. "Do you have to yowl so _loud_?"

"_Shhhhh_!" the creamy brown tom urged her. "I know I heard something!"

"You think..." Flight grumbled under her breath.

Frostpaw squinted at the horizon. A small black dot had appeared there.

"_Skypaw_!" Frostpaw repeated loudly, squinting frantically at the dot.

"Frostpaw!" He heard a small voice call his name. "Frostpaw!"

It was definitely a cat, and it was approaching fast. _It is Skypaw! It's Skypaw! _Frostpaw shot towards his sister.

The two of them barrelled into each other, greeting each other like they had known each other for their entire lives, instead of less than a moon.

"Frostpaw!" purred Skypaw, rasping her tongue over Frostpaw's ears.

"Skypaw!" Frostpaw scrambled away so that he could examine his sister properly. "Great StarClan, I didn't realise that I was actually going to _miss_ you, you mousebrain!"

"It's Sky_storm_ now," his sister corrected him. "And what are you doing here? You didn't get exiled too, did you?"

Frostpaw shook his head, brushing aside Skystorm's new name. "Like I said… I actually kind of missed you. And I couldn't leave you to the fate of... _StarClan_!" he spat the last word in disgust.

Skystorm looked worried, but was spared the necessity of answering by the sudden arrival of a sleek black tom with a white dash on his chest.

"Skystorm - you - have - too - much - energy!" he panted, flopping down on the ground.

Frostpaw cast a questioning glance at his sister.

"Oh!" mewed Skystorm. "Frostpaw, this is Jay. He's helped me out a lot, with travelling and things. He also saved me from a monster on the Thunderpath."

Frostpaw mewed a greeting, but an cool voice behind him mewed, "Who is he, a kittypet or something?"

"Flight!" mewed Frostpaw, embarrassed. "This is Flight of Startled Heron," he told the other two. "She's a to-be from the Tribe of Rushing Water."

Jay, who had jumped up at Flight's accusation, hissed, "For your information, I'm a loner!"

"Oh, yeah?" sneered Flight, eyeing Jay with dislike. "Why are you a loner? Is it because no cat likes you?"

"Well, at least I have a name a normal cat could understand! What kind of name is _Flight of Startled Heron_?" Jay shot back.

"It's shortened to Flight!"

"Oh, because that's completely normal."

"You're a cat, so why are you named after a bird you catch as prey?"

"But what sort of name is a tooby? That just sounds stupid!"

"It's to-be a cave-guard!"

"You live in a _cave_?"

"Stop!" mewed Skystorm loudly. The two arguing cats turned.

"Look, we're travelling together, so we-" Frostpaw glanced meaningfully at Jay and Flight, "are going to have to get along!"

"Are we?" Jay blinked.

"Well, of course we are!" spat Flight.

"Shut _up_!" Skystorm cuffed Jay over the ear. He scowled.

"I'm fine with being nice to _you_, Frostpaw," mewed Flight innocently, "and your sister seems like a good cat, but if _some_ cats-" she gave Jay a hard glare, "are going to behave like badgers with their fur clawed off, I'm not sure I can oblige!"

"_Me_?" mewed Jay, outraged. "If I remember correctly, it was _you_ who first accused me of being unlikeable!"

"At least I was telling the truth. And that's not even a word!"

"You-"

"Can you just _stop_?" asked Frostpaw desperately. "This isn't going to work!"

"Please, Jay. For me," Skystorm begged.

Jay sighed. Frostpaw noticed that his eyes had gone strangely soft when he looked at Skystorm. "Okay, Skystorm. I won't argue with the tooby... much..." he added under his breath. "But not because she deserves for it. I'll only do it to please you."

"Then I guess I won't _defend myself_ against the loner, just to make you happy, Frostpaw." Flight looked rather affronted. "I'll just sit, and not let his insults pierce me."

"Good," mewed Skystorm, relieved. Frostpaw wasn't sure that Flight was taking this seriously enough, but he said nothing.

"Loner," Flight muttered.

"Tooby," mewed Jay under his breath.

"You..." Flight scrunched up her face with effort. "You are infuriating and bothersome, but I will ignore you. I will avoid you."

Jay glowered.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Frostpaw mewed, feeling that that was the best he was going to get out of her.

"Maybe not for you..." muttered Flight under her breath.


	21. Dream

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognise anything from Warriors in my story, I don't own it, okay?**

Dream

_"Well done, Skystorm. You'll travel a lot faster with your brother helping you along the way."_

_"Don't say that. It makes me feel guilty – I didn't _do_ anything. It was just a coincidence, really. I didn't even know that he was following me. And he was only following me because..."_

_"Because what?"_

_"Well... he doesn't believe in StarClan. Don't be angry, please! Are you angry? …You're angry. I'm _really_ sorry."_

_"…No, it isn't your fault. I'm slightly disappointed, but... Not everyone can believe. It isn't like he's a medicine cat or anything. Now, _that_ would have been a different story."_

_"I suppose you're right..."_

_"Now... We have to sort out my real concern. Flight and Jay."_

_"Oh… Honestly, I don't get it! Why do they hate each other so much?"_

_"Remember, they come from completely different backgrounds. Jay has practically brought himself up, since his mother died so young. He would trust any cat, because in his experience, he has nothing to fear from his own species. On the other hand, Flight was brought up in the mountains, where you have to use your wits, lest you starve. What's more, she's training to _defend_ her Tribe, not really to catch prey - she has to learn to fight eagles and hawks."_

_"You're right, I suppose. Again… But me and Frostpaw get along fine with them!"_

_"Well... I know that in effect... Flight and Jay are... well, jealous."_

_"Jealous! Of what?"_

_"Well, Flight is jealous that Jay might get along with Frostpaw, and Jay is jealous that Flight might get along with you, and, well..."_

_"What's wrong with Jay getting along with my brother? And what's wrong with me getting along with Flight? I like her – she's funny. Why would Jay want to prevent that…?"_

_"You see… Flight wants Frostpaw to only focus on her. And Jay... the same thing."_

_"How come? I don't get it."_

_"It's very complicated... I suppose... when you get to the base of it... it's because..."_

_"Because _what_?"_

_"Well... um... I could be wrong, but I've thought about it, and..."_

_"What?"_

_"Maybe it's best if I don't say... yes, that would be better."_

_"But…!"_

_"It is almost dawn. Farewell..."_

_"But wait! Don't go! I want to know more...!"_

***

An impatient yowl burst out of Skystorm's jaws the moment she awoke. She had been so close.

"Some cat attacking you, Skystorm?" mewed Jay sleepily.

"No... just a dream..." Skystorm said sheepishly. "Go back to sleep."

"No, it's okay. I'll hunt, then we can get moving." Jay shook his head. Raising his voice slightly louder, he added, "That is, if the _tooby_ doesn't keep us waiting."

"Alright, alright, I'm getting up," mewed Flight crossly. "For the Tribe of Endless Hunting's sake, why do we have to be up at the crack of dawn?"

"You already know, we told you last night," Jay reminded her cuttingly.

The night before, Skystorm had told Frostpaw and Flight what had happened in the Clans' old territory, with some assistance from Jay. Frostpaw had agreed, but Skystorm could tell he didn't believe a word of the part about guiding Oakheart to the new territory.

After wolfing down a small chaffinch, Skystorm and the others set off for the lake territory.

"Have any of you wondered which route we're going to take?" mewed Frostpaw.

"Route? There are two routes?" asked Jay, puzzled.

"Of course there are, _loner_," mewed Flight, shaking her grey head disdainfully. "There's the way through _my _territory, the mountains, and the way through Twolegplace."

"I think we should go through the mountains," mewed Jay, just as Flight said, "I think we should go through Twolegplace."

The two cats glared at each other.

"What d you think, Frostpaw?" asked Skystorm hastily, before the two young cats could start snarling at each other.

"Hmm..." Frostpaw looked thoughtful. "I agree with Flight, actually."

"Ha!" said Flight triumphantly.

"But!" Frostpaw hastened to add, "I would _prefer_ going through the mountains, it's just we haven't got a lot of choice."

"Why?" inquired Skystorm, confused. "Flight, aren't the mountains your home? You'd be welcome there, right?"

Frostpaw and Flight exchanged a glance. "Well... we didn't exactly _parade _the fact that we were leaving..." mewed Frostpaw awkwardly.

"You are right," Flight nodded. "We sort of... left when... nobody was looking?"

"Oh. I see." Skystorm blinked.

"So, Twolegplace it is, then?" mewed Flight brightly, clearly pleased that she had 'won' the latest skirmish.

"If you say so," muttered Jay.

"Are you looking forward to seeing your Clanmates, Skystorm?" asked Frostpaw.

Skystorm paused. "I know one cat I'm _not _looking forward to seeing. Bramblestar." She grimaced. "I don't know what happened. One day he was our leader, the next... he was controlling every cat."

"I see what you mean..." mewed Frostpaw sympathetically. "Personally, I can't wait to see Sunfire. My mentor," he added, seeing the confused look on Skystorm's face. "I feel so bad for leaving her..."

"Mmn..." Skystorm honestly couldn't say she was looking forward to rejoining Clan life that much. She knew that she would miss Foxbramble, but he would be okay as long as he knew his daughter was alive. Apart from that, there wasn't really anyone that she would miss dreadfully if she gave up Clan life altogether.

"I wonder if Swiftkit and Wildkit are apprentices yet?" Frostpaw was talking to himself now, Skystorm could tell. "Wildkit will certainly be Featherflight's apprentice, and Swiftkit will want a mentor with lots of warrior experience... maybe Cindersky?"

Skystorm knew that he missed WindClan dreadfully, much more than she missed RiverClan. The only thing _she_ felt bad about was leaving her Clan to face up to Bramblestar.

"They'll be okay," she assured herself under her breath. "Bramblestar wouldn't throw out any more cats out, would he?"

But suddenly, she felt as though an icy claw had penetrated her heart. What would Bramblestar have done in her absence?


	22. Ravenwing

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Warriors, I don't own Warriors, I don't own Warriors, la la la la laaaa!**

Ravenwing

"Bramblestar?" inquired the black tom nervously.

"What? Have you found another filthy half-breed?" the dark brown RiverClan leader spat. Ravenwing shook his head vigorously.

"N-no! I was just wondering what cats you wanted to take to the Gathering tonight..."

"Oh. Well, take whatever cats you choose. So long as they are fully RiverClan."

"None of our cats would betray you, Bramblestar," Ravenwing mewed in a low voice.

"How can you be so sure?" hissed Bramblestar. "Now, go."

Ravenwing ducked his head and padded out of Bramblestar's den. Immediately he was swarmed by fearful cats.

"What did he say?"

"Is any other cat being exiled?"

"Are we attending the Gathering?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ravenwing mewed, alarmed. "No cat's being exiled. Bramblestar said 'take any cats you want so long as they are fully RiverClan.'"

"Foxdung!" Silverblaze spat, her usually calm amber eyes blazing. "We're _all_ fully RiverClan!"

"So were Wildpoppy, Foxbramble, Whitefur, and Icepaw..." mewed Brackentail quietly.

"Look, the word of the Clan leader is the warrior code, and I know that none of us really agree with what Bramblestar is doing, but I'm sure he did it for a reason..." Ravenwing's voice was getting higher and higher, and he was trying to convince himself as much as the watching cats. "Okay, okay. Erm... I'll come to the Gathering, and so will Dawnflower, Redsky, Sandshade, Rainfur, Rockpaw, Clawpaw, Tigerpaw... and..." he broke off.

All the listening cats realized that this Gathering would have been Icepaw's first Gathering.

"Well, those cats will go, anyway."

***

All the RiverClan cats at the Gathering were in a tight-knit group. Bramblestar had forbidden them from speaking to any other cats.

Ravenwing glanced around nervously. The sight he saw made his eyes widen in surprise.

"Foxbramble?" he hissed in his former Clanmates' ear, pulling him behind a bush by his scruff.

"Hi," mewed the creamy brown tom sheepishly.

"_Hi_?" hissed Ravenwing incredulously.

"Well... when I was exiled, I, er... went to WindClan..."

"What do you mean, you 'went to WindClan'?"

"Well, Bramblestar wasn't going to accept me back, was he?" Foxbramble was still looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"What about Whitefur? Wildpoppy? Icepaw?"

"You're kidding? Don't tell me they were exiled?" Foxbramble's eyes widened.

Ravenwing nodded silently.

"This is all my fault..." mewed Foxbramble wildly.

Ravenwing started to shake his head, but a sharp voice called the Gathering to order.

"Cats of all Clans!"

"Oh, StarClan..." Ravenwing muttered. "Sorry, Foxbramble. I have to go."

He swiftly wove between the masses of cats and took his place on the roots of the tree on which the leaders sat to address the Clan.

"Hi, Ravenwing!" whispered Spottedpath.

"Shhh," mewed Ravenwing, almost silently, aware of his leader's eyes on him.

Spottedpath blinked, hurt, and turned away to look at her leader, Tawnystar, who was starting the Gathering.

Ravenwing barely listened to Tawnystar's report on ThunderClan's new warriors; he was too busy worrying what Bramblestar would say when it was his turn to speak. He looked up. A cloud was drifting ominously close to the moon... The RiverClan deputy gulped.

***

Frostpaw looked up at the full moon. It would be a Gathering tonight.

He noticed a cloud which was, seemingly innocently, floating towards the moon.

"There's trouble at the Gathering..." he muttered to himself.

"You're worried." Flight padded up to Frostpaw and pressed herself comfortingly against his side. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing much..." Frostpaw looked into the Tribe she-cat's concerned amber eyes. "Except, whenever a cloud goes over the full moon, it means that StarClan is angry..."

"It can't be anything much," Flight reassured him. "And even if it _is_ something bad, it's beyond our control. You can't do anything about it."

"You're right, Flight," Frostpaw forced a purr out of his throat. It didn't entirely comfort him, but it was nice to know that Flight was making the effort. "You're… you're a good friend."

Flight blinked up at him, her face alight with happiness. "Thank you, Frostpaw," she purred shyly.

Frostpaw stared into Flight's amber eyes, wondering what the curious sensation was in the pit of his stomach. But at that precise moment, Frostpaw decided that he didn't particularly care; he just wanted to hold onto the moment… forever.


	23. Family

**DISCLAIMER: There should really be a 'disclaimer-maker', shouldn't there? You just press a button and a disclaimer pops out like toast or something! Yeah... I can see the adverts now... 'new disclaimer-maker! Having disclaimer trouble? We'll sort it out for you! Ready-made diclaimers!' Oh, yeah, the story. Sorry. I'll just stick to 'I don't own Warriors'**

Family

"My paws ache," complained Flight grumpily.

"Oh, stop moaning. Skystorm had to get through this place by herself last time," Jay snapped. For once, Flight heeded him and shut up.

Skystorm felt a sudden glow of affection for the young loner. It was true that the journey back through Twolegplace had been much more bearable than the first time.

"We're almost through, anyway," Frostpaw pointed out good-naturedly.

"Thank the Tribe of Endless Hunting," grumbled Flight quietly.

"There's only about a two-sunrise journey from the end of Twolegplace back to the lake, right, Frostpaw?" Skystorm mewed.

Frostpaw nodded. "It didn't take me that long to get to Twolegplace once I'd picked up Skystorm's scent."

"Thank _StarClan_!" sighed Jay.

"And there'll be plenty of prey when we get out of here!" Skystorm mewed quickly, as Flight opened her jaws to speak.

"Good. I could really do with sharing an eagle... or a hawk..." Flight mused.

Skystorm and Frostpaw exchanged glances. "Er... Flight?" mewed Frostpaw tentatively. "The Clans don't live in the mountains. We don't eat eagles... or hawks..."

Flight blinked. "You are kidding, aren't you?!"

Skystorm shook her head, casting a warning glance at Jay, who had opened his jaws to make a sharp remark.

"Then what do you eat?"

"Well... it sort of depends what Clan you're in..." Skystorm mewed thoughtfully. "If you live in RiverClan, like I did, you eat fish."

Flight snorted. "_Fish_?"

"It gets worse," Frostpaw mewed darkly. "ShadowClan like frogs, snakes, and lizards."

Flight looked like she might vomit. "That - is - _revolting_!" she choked out, beginning to shiver with disgust.

Skystorm nodded. "ThunderClan eat mice, voles, squirrels, thrushes, and starlings."

"Well, that definitely sounds better than the _crow-food _that this 'ShadowClan' appear to force down their throats…" Flight muttered.

"And if you're a WindClan cat, your meals will be rabbits," Frostpaw finished.

"I suppose that wouldn't be too bad..." Flight mewed. She licked her lips. "Like the small caught-prey without the large caught-prey…"

"My great-great-great grandfather was from ThunderClan..." Jay mewed quietly. "Firestar - well, Fire_paw _back then - was one of his best friends, but Ravenpaw left at the beginning of the, erm... 'kittypet era'."

Frostpaw was staring at Jay with nothing less than awe. "One of your ancestors knew - _the _- Firestar?"

"So what?" Jay shrugged. "I bet yours did, too."

"Maybe you're right..." Frostpaw mewed, staring into space. "Let's see... my mother's mother was Stormcloud, and _her _mother was..."

"When you've stopped relieving family history, can we get moving?" mewed Flight loudly. "My mother was Mouse That Is Carried By Eagle, my father was Rain That Bounces On Grass, my brother was Moon That Shines On Cavetop, and I am probably never going to see them again!"

She stalked onwards angrily, much to everyone else's surprise.

Frostpaw gaped. Skystorm butted his flank with her head.

"Well? Go and speak to her!" she hissed.

"What? Me! But-"

"Come on, you know her better than us!"

"But-"

"Go!"

"But-"

"Go!"

"But-"

"I said _go_!"

"She-cats!" muttered Frostpaw, giving up and padding after Flight. "Remind me why I missed her again…?" he grumbled to no cat in particular.

"Go away," Flight mewed, speeding up.

"You know, you didn't have to come with me. In fact, _you_ convinced _me _to let you join me..." Frostpaw trailed off. "I'm confusing myself with all these me's and you's."

Flight gave a tiny, reluctant purr. "I know. I'm sorry. But I'm worried about what the Tribe will think, though... especially Mouse, Rain and Moon. And you know that Moon isn't the most... _tolerant_ cat."

"You got that one right…" Frostpaw mewed, remembering the grumpy to-be. "Listen, Flight, if you want to go back, I'll be right behind you. But don't forget, we're all like a family now. You and Jay are like the ever-bickering littermates."

Flight purred. "Thanks, Frostpaw... But I'll be okay. It's like you said; we're a family now."

Frostpaw felt that curious sensation in his stomach again. "That's what friends are for," he mewed, feeling a tiny bit muddled.

The light in Flight's eyes died. "Friends..." she sighed, seemingly to herself. "Erm, Frostpaw, I'm going to go talk to Jay. See you."

_Talk to Jay? _Frostpaw was very confused. _Since when did Flight voluntarily speak to Jay?_

"She-cats do the craziest things..." he muttered, waiting for Skystorm, Jay and Flight to catch up to him. Flight was quite clearly hiding something. Frostpaw wished he knew what.


	24. Love

**DISCLAIMER: .......... What? Huh? Oh yeah, sorry, zoned out. Don't own, don't sue.**

Love

"Grass!" mewed Skystorm joyfully, charging off the last Thunderpath.

"I'm almost glad to see it!" Flight agreed.

"What do you mean, _almost_?" Jay narrowed his eyes.

"Well, I, uh..."

"I'm just kidding, you stupid furball," Jay purred, headbutting her playfully. "You come from the mountains - you prefer rocky ground."

Frostpaw stared at him for a heartbeat. "Are you feeling okay?" she mewed cautiously, obviously afraid that he was going to come back with a sarcastic comment that would catch her off guard.

"Never better!" mewed Jay happily. "I'm just so _happy _to get out of Twolegplace – I don't want to be prickly to _anyone_!"

Skystorm purred. "Thank StarClan," she mewed. "Because the sun's going down – we need to find a place to rest, and if we're all having a go at each other, that's not really going to work."

"Hey, over there looks okay," Frostpaw mewed, waving his tail toward a small grassy area sheltered by trees.

Skystorm shrugged. "Fine by me. Do you two agree?"

"Anything that Frostpaw suggests is fine," mewed Flight loyally.

"I don't have any problem," Jay agreed.

"Then that's settled," Skystorm decided.

***

It was Skystorm and Jay's turn to hunt, and Frostpaw and Flight were busy trying to find the most comfortable sleeping spots before the two returned.

"I like this place," Frostpaw decided, settling down sleepily.

Flight stared at him for a heartbeat, mentally weighing her chances. She wasn't going to get a better chance than this, she decided, as Frostpaw yawned widely.

"Erm... Frostpaw?" the Tribe to-be mewed tentatively, her heart pumping so wildly she was sure it must interfere with her speech.

"Y-y-yes?" replied Frostpaw, rolling over and giving a huge, shuddering yawn.

"I have to... erm... tell you something." It was amazing how much harder it was to say three words than to attack a madly struggling eagle. "But first... promise me you won't get cross."

"I promise, Flight. Now tell me," Frostpaw mewed sleepily.

The grey she-cat swallowed nervously. "I... I... I love you."

Her heart thumping violently somewhere around her throat, she waited for Frostpaw's reaction.

Flight looked over at Frostpaw. His eyes were firmly shut. Her heart sank back to its regular position.

"I can't believe it!" Flight groaned. "I finally got up the nerve to confess - and he fell asleep!"

"Flight?"

Flight jumped around rapidly to see Skystorm padding towards her with a young rabbit in her jaws.

"Is Jay there?" Flight demanded to know. "Did he hear?"

"N-no..." mewed Skystorm uncertainly, depositing the rabbit on the ground. "He's hunting some more... But what-"

"Please don't tell him that I'm in love with Frostpaw!" Flight begged.

Skystorm looked taken aback. "You... what?"

"You mean you didn't hear?"

Skystorm shook her head. "I wouldn't listen in on you!"

"But now I've told you!" Flight wailed in despair. "Oh, please don't tell Jay!"

"Of course I won't," Skystorm reassured her, still looking highly surprised. "So, did you tell...?"

"I tried, but he fell asleep!"

Skystorm found the presence of mind to purr. "Typical."

"Oh, Skystorm, what am I going to do?" mewed Flight in anguish. "If Jay finds out, he'll purr himself silly at me… What's wrong?"

Skystorm had just gasped in realisation. "If you... but then... I could be wrong... but that would explain... Oakheart said... but he wouldn't tell me... I think I've just understood something! Sorry, Flight, I've got to go and find Jay!"

"I'll see you later!" Flight called after her as she streaked into the trees. "Why doesn't she just explain?" she muttered to herself. "It'd take her about three more heartbeats..."

Padding over to Frostpaw, she sighed. She couldn't understand why she loved him so much, and she wasn't even sure if they could have a future together - surely he would want to rejoin his Clan, and his Clan surely wouldn't accept her - but for now, she just wanted to enjoy every last heartbeat of her time with him.

***

"Jay!" Skystorm yowled loudly, spotting the black and white tom.

"Oh, Skystorm!" Jay moaned. "I was just about to catch that magpie!"

"Sorry," Skystorm apologised distractedly, thoughts chasing each other in circles around her head. "But I just thought of something. I was talking to Flight... and... I realised..."

She paused. She hadn't thought about what she was going to say. It wasn't exactly straightforward... and what if she was wrong?

"Spit it out," Jay purred, flicking her with his tail.

"Do you... I mean, are you..." Skystorm stumbled over her words. "Are you in love with me?" she blurted out suddenly.

Jay's blue eyes widened.

"You're not..." Skystorm closed her eyes briefly. "Sorry... I'm such a vain mousebrain..."

"No," whispered a mortified Jay. "I am."


	25. Moor

**DISCLAIMER: I _will_ own Warriors! =maniacal laughter=  
Erins: Never! =more maniacal laughter=**

Moor

"You... do?" whispered Skystorm.

Jay nodded, looking horrified with himself. "I can't believe that I just..."

Skystorm blinked.

"But now..." Jay whispered, pawing the ground nervously. "The real question is... are you in love with me?"

Skystorm flicked her tail apprehensively, trying to make sense of all the mixed up emotions flooding her head. "I don't know..." she mewed eventually, shaking her head. This was way too confusing – it was like the dream with Oakheart, multiplied by ten. "I might be... I need some time to think..."

Jay nodded. "Alright. I understand. And, Skystorm?"

Skystorm, who had turned to leave, looked back over her shoulder.

"If you don't... I'll be fine."

Skystorm nodded, trying to erase from her memory the picture of his blue eyes, alight with pain.

***

"Come on, let's go!" mewed Frostpaw, shaking his friends awake. "I think we can make it back home by sunset if we head off now!"

Skystorm rose to her paws and stretched her limbs luxuriously. As Jay did the same, she cast an anxious glance at him.

Seeing Flight as she was waking reminded Frostpaw of something.

"Hey, Flight? You know last night? What was it that you wanted to-"

"Skystorm, would you like to go hunting?" Flight interjected hastily.

"Sure!" Skystorm nodded vigorously and shot off, avoiding Jay's eye.

Jay gave a tiny sigh and padded away.

"Where are you going?" Frostpaw questioned.

"Oh, I, um... for a walk."

"What in StarClan's name is wrong with everyone today?" Frostpaw mewed to himself, watching his friends dashing away in opposite directions.

***

Later that day, when they started travelling again, Frostpaw noticed that they appeared to be in two silent packs. Skystorm and Flight made up one pack, while Jay stayed with Frostpaw. Skystorm, Jay, and Flight avoided each others' eyes.

After several hours of this, Frostpaw decided that he could bear it no longer.

"Right," he mewed angrily, swinging around to face his three companions. "We are sorting this problem out right now."

"Problem? What problem? I don't have a problem," gabbled Skystorm in a very high-pitched voice.

"Then walk with Jay," Frostpaw ordered, seemingly innocently.

Jay blinked and obediently padded over to Skystorm. Skystorm looked extremely uncomfortable, but Frostpaw said nothing.

"Now, Flight, walk with me."

Flight didn't look up, but simply left Skystorm and sidled over to Frostpaw. She, too, looked distinctly uneasy.

"What is it, Flight?" mewed Frostpaw gently, once they started moving again.

Flight blinked up at him. She opened her mouth to answer when Skystorm let out a yowl.

"Look! It's the moor!"

Frostpaw started. "It is!" he mewed joyfully, forgetting about Flight. "WindClan territory!"

***

"It's the moor, the moor, the moor!" Flight chased his tail in a circle and drew in the heathery scents. "Let's go!"

He made as if to charge away, but Skystorm held him back.

"Wait!" she mewed. "How will it look to your Clan if you just go waltzing into camp? You've been away for almost a moon, I bet some cats think a hawk got you when you went hunting, or something!"

Frostpaw looked worried. "I guess you're right... What do you propose we do?"

"Erm," mewed Flight, announcing her presence. "Have you noticed that Frostpaw isn't the only one that may not be... accepted? Skystorm, you were _exiled_. I'm just a random Tribe cat, and Jay is a random loner!"

Skystorm's shoulders sagged - she had been so focused on getting to the lake she wasn't sure how they would be greeted. Then an idea popped into her head.

"I'm going to the Moonpool," she announced. "Maybe Oakheart will know what to do."

The other cats looked a little surprised, but when Frostpaw shrugged a nod, Flight followed his lead and mewed a 'see you'. Jay averted his eyes. Skystorm felt a hot wave of prickly embarrassment, but she beat it down and quickly left before Frostpaw or Flight could see what was wrong with her.

She couldn't tell Jay that she loved him... because she honestly wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment. She wasn't just going to Oakheart for help on how to approach her former Clanmates... she wanted him to help her figure out what she was feeling in her heart.

As she felt her paws slip into the pawprints made by the ancient cats long ago, she realized that she was drawing near to the Moonpool. Silently, she slipped into the large cavern and lapped up the water with her tongue. She instinctively closed her eyes, shuddering from the sudden cold.

Before she opened her eyes, Skystorm heard a voice whispering in her ear.

"I had a love once. But that love is long gone. Chances only come once in a lifetime..."

"What?!" Skystorm wheeled around, her eyes snapping open. To her dismay, she was still at the Moonpool. Did that mean that StarClan wanted her to figure out her feelings on her own...?

But they were clearly giving her words of comfort. That voice didn't belong to Oakheart... it was more feminine... silvery... but surely only RiverClan ancestors would communicate with her?

"Chances only come once in a lifetime..." Skystorm muttered. Did this mean what she thought it meant? But wasn't it against the warrior code? Jay wasn't in her Clan... but he wasn't in a rival Clan either... Did that mean that StarClan approved of Jay?


	26. Battle

**DISCLAIMER: ¡Yo no poseo a Guerreros! (Spanish for I don't own Warriors)**

Battle

"What was that?" Frostpaw pricked up his ears.

"What?" asked Jay lazily, flicking his own ears to get rid of flies.

"I thought..." Frostpaw shook his head. "I thought I heard yowls..."

Flight sat up abruptly. "No, I heard it too."

Frostpaw noticed that she was still staring pointedly at the ground, and her tone was polite, but not friendly.

"Relax, you two," Jay mewed idly. "There's nothing... Huh?"

There were distinct yowling sounds coming from the lake.

"You don't think..." mewed Flight in a hushed voice.

"We have to _go_!" Frostpaw mewed urgently, leaping to his paws.

"But what about Skystorm?" Jay worried.

"She'll find us, now come _on_!"

Frostpaw streaked across the plain as fast as his legs could carry him. Flight cast a glance at Jay and followed, but Jay knew that he couldn't go. Not without Skystorm.

"Skystorm!" mewed Jay in relief, seeing a dark shape approaching. When Skystorm reached him, Jay noticed that she looked harried, wild – but also strangely joyful.

"Jay, I have to tell you that-"

"Not now, there's a battle going on!" Jay cut across her, hoping that she meant what he thought he meant, but trying not to raise his hopes too much. "Frostpaw and Flight are already on their way!"

Skystorm's yellow eyes widened. "We have to help!"

***

The yowls were getting louder, and Frostpaw could now just about distinguish the yowls of pain from the yowls of fury. It was a full-out battle, and there were scents of RiverClan, WindClan, ShadowClan, and ThunderClan in the air.

"Mudnose!" Frostpaw bellowed, catching sight of his Clanmate locked in battle with a ginger RiverClan she-cat, and feeling too happy to see a familiar face to stay silent.

"Wha- Frostpaw?!" mewed the young warrior in disbelief, executing a double-take that allowed her opponent wrestle her over.

Frostpaw lunged forward and bit the RiverClan warrior on the scruff of the neck. The she-cat hissed in pain and turned, giving Mudnose an advantage. Frostpaw turned away into the throng of cats, realizing that he had lost Flight.

He spotted Swiftkit fighting a ThunderClan warrior twice her size - abandoning his search for Flight, he sprang into position next to her and batted the golden-brown tabby off his feet.

"Swiftkit, _what in StarClan's name _are you doing?" he asked as she delivered a swipe to the ThunderClan tom's head.

"It's Swift_paw_," she corrected. "I'm an apprentice now!" Even in the throng of battle, Frostpaw could detect a note of pride in her mew. He noticed that Swiftpaw had completely ignored the fact that Frostpaw had been missing for almost a moon.

The golden-brown tabby raked his claws down Frostpaw's belly. Frostpaw gave a yowl of pain and the ThunderClan cat skulked away, evidently wishing to leave the scene now that his enemy was beaten.

Frostpaw gave a gasp of pain as blood seeped out of the slash in his belly.

"Frostpaw, you're hurt!" mewed Swiftpaw, alarmed.

"No, it's fine, really. It looks worse than it-"

"Wildpaw!" yowled Swiftpaw. The brown tom hurried up to him, seemingly used to being called up.

"Frostpaw!" Wildpaw exclaimed.

"Whatever, whatever, enough with the 'Oh my StarClan, you're alive' mousedung! Just hurry up, he's bleeding!" Swiftpaw urged her littermate.

Wildpaw nodded, and briefly disappeared. When he returned, he was carrying a wad of cobwebs on one paw. He was also chewing up a yellowy-golden herb.

"That stings!" Frostpaw moaned.

"Lie down," Wildpaw mewed. Frostpaw obeyed, wincing.

"Swiftpaw, get back to the battle," Wildpaw urged his sister. Swiftpaw nodded, giving her former denmate a fleeting glance, and disappeared into the heaving mass of yowling cats.

"So, you're the medicine cat apprentice, now, are you?" Frostpaw said faintly, to distract himself from the stabbing pains.

Wildpaw nodded, still focusing on Frostpaw's wound.

"Frostpaw!"

There was a shriek from behind him and he vaguely registered Flight rushing up to him.

"Who are you?" asked Wildpaw suspiciously.

"It's okay!" Frostpaw tried to yell, but it came out as more of a croak. "She's a friend, I travelled with her!"

"Hmm..." Wildpaw didn't seem entirely convinced, but he kept applying marigold and cobwebs to the wound.

"Is he going to be okay, er..."

"Wildpaw," the medicine cat apprentice introduced himself briefly, not taking his eyes off his work. "And I think so. I'm only the apprentice, but..."

"You have done very well," Flight praised him.

Frostpaw gave a weak purr.

***

"You!" snarled a voice.

Skystorm whipped around to see her former leader, Bramblestar.

"You dared to return to this lake after I exiled you?" he hissed.

"Yes, I did," mewed Skystorm defiantly. She felt the heat of battle stir in her veins. She wanted to punish the cat who was hurting her former Clanmates.

That did it for Bramblestar. With a growl rising in his throat, he pounced for Skystorm's throat.

Skystorm ducked and rolled out of the way, and sank her teeth into Bramblestar's tail.

Spitting, Bramblestar whirled around and jumped onto the young rogue's back. With a _huff _as she exhaled air, Skystorm struggled to get off. Bramblestar being at least twice her size, this was no easy feat.

Bramblestar pinned down Skystorm by the neck, and, with a yowl of triumph, lunged for her throat.

Skystorm braced herself for death, but she noticed that Bramblestar appeared to have loosened his grip. With massive effort, she pushed herself up to see Bramblestar writhing on the ground, with a familiar black shape dealing him blow after blow...

Bramblestar snarled up at his attacker, swaying where he stood. Skystorm jumped up and nipped Bramblestar's paw, and as he ducked around, Jay dealt him a last blow to the head. Skystorm marvelled at his previously uncovered battling skills.

Bramblestar went limp. He gave one shuddering breath.

"Skystorm - you..."

But then his fierce yellow eyes glazed over, and the two cats realized that he was losing a life.

Skystorm blinked in horror, a terrible thought occurring to her. "Jay - Bramblestar was on his last life!"


	27. Fallen Warriors

**DISCLAIMER: Je ne possède pas de Guerrier! (French for I don't own Warriors)**

Fallen Warriors

"But he shouldn't've died that easily!" mewed Jay, aghast. "I didn't... I promise I didn't mean to..."

All around them, wails of grief were going up.

"But... they can't all be mourning Bramblestar..." Skystorm mewed, confused.

A tortoiseshell she-cat ran past them, mewing wildly.

"Ashstar... oh, Ashstar..."

"Ashstar?" asked Skystorm, mystified.

"Why? I don't understand... Tawnystar still had eight lives left..." muttered a pale golden ThunderClan tom nearby.

"Cloudstar's been our leader since StarClan knows when... he just _can't_ be dead..." a ShadowClan she-cat was telling another.

"Tawnystar and Cloudstar, too?" Jay's mew was fearful.

"But... it sounds like all four leaders died at the same time!" Skystorm gasped. That couldn't just be down to coincidence.

***

The battle had subsided. The bodies of the four leaders had been laid next to the lake - a grey body, a dark brown body, a white body, and a white body with ginger patches.

Many heads were bowed. An unnatural hush swept across the watching cats, broken only by the whispered conversation that the medicine cats seemed to be holding.

"Cats of all Clans." The heads of every cat whipped around as Hawkeyes, the ThunderClan medicine cat, spoke.

"We believe that these... deaths... were a sign." Featherflight's soft mew rang out. "From StarClan," she added unnecessarily.

"But why would StarClan send _death_ as a sign?" asked Dawnflower fearfully. "And the death of our leaders, no less."

"We aren't sure," Brackentail mewed, avoiding eye contact. Skystorm wondered briefly where Whitefur was, but dismissed the thought as Foxleaf began to speak.

"My apprentice, Silverpaw, would like to say a few words."

A small silver she-cat with a grey paw stepped forward, her green eyes darting about nervously. "I think... I kind of... well..." she muttered.

"Don't be afraid, Silverpaw," Hawkeyes mewed kindly.

Silverpaw nodded, then continued, her voice slightly stronger, "Maybe the four leaders died because... well... the four Clans haven't really stopped fighting for several moons now... I mean, they were fighting before I was born... and maybe... StarClan sent death to them to... stop the fighting?"

There was silence for a few heartbeats.

"Actually... Silverpaw might have a point..." Hawkeyes mewed thoughtfully, his eyes fixed on the white-and-ginger shape of his former leader.

"It's true we haven't stopped fighting since StarClan-knows-when..." Featherflight said slowly. She nodded. "Foxleaf, you're the oldest medicine cat. What do you think?"

Foxleaf waited for a heartbeat before answering. "I think... that if it was a sign from StarClan or just pure coincidence - although I'm not sure how it could be, with Tawnystar on eight lives - it makes no difference. We now have four new Clan leaders, and hopefully they can lead us through... better times."

Hawkeyes nodded. "Well said," he mewed, managing a purr.

The medicine cats turned to look at the four deputies. All of them - Spottedpath and Wildheart in particular - were looking very shocked.

Redclaw, the ShadowClan deputy, spoke first. "I was assigned this role by Cloudstar. He knew that I would have to take over as leader when he eventually joined StarClan. If he believed that I could lead ShadowClan, I know that I will be able to. And now, I say these words before the body of Cloudstar, so he may hear and approve of my choice. Willowflame will be the new ShadowClan deputy."

Many of the ShadowClan cats yowled in agreement, and Skystorm spotted a tawny she-cat looking pleasantly surprised.

"Redclaw will be a loyal and just leader," Foxleaf nodded. "This decision is right."

Emboldened by Redclaw's speech, Spottedpath stepped forward. "I never expected to become leader of ThunderClan this early..." she mewed slowly. "But if StarClan wishes it, then I will lead my Clan through many seasons to come. And I, too, say these words before the body of Tawnystar, so he may hear and approve of my choice. Blueheart will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

There was a similar yowl of agreement. This time it was a blue-grey tom looking pleased.

"Spottedpath is young, but she has the wisdom of a much older cat," Hawkeyes mewed. He bowed his head. "I also agree with her leadership."

"This is odd..." Wildheart mewed, under his breath. He looked up. "I never expected to become deputy, let alone leader." He purred nervously. "But now my time has come, and I will bear my role. And I say these words before the body of Ashstar, so he may hear and approve of my choice. Rainstorm will be the new deputy of WindClan."

Skystorm saw a look of comprehension dawn on her mother's face, and she joined in with the loud yowl of agreement.

"I agree with your choice one hundred percent, and I will be behind you all the way," Featherflight purred. She bobbed her head.

It was only Ravenwing left now. "I never thought what Bramblestar was doing was right," he mewed. "And now, before I accept RiverClan's leadership, and name the new deputy, I would like to invite Foxbramble, Skystorm, Wildpoppy, Whitefur and Icepaw to rejoin RiverClan."

Skystorm blinked in surprise. Her father had also been exiled?

Many cats were whispering. Her return was obviously a matter of great interest.

"Ravenwing, I accept," mewed Foxbramble. "Thank you. I don't dislike WindClan, but RiverClan is my home."

Suddenly, two white cats and a tortoiseshell cat squeezed out of the crowd.

"We were watching," mewed the tortoiseshell - Wildpoppy. "Ravenwing, do you mean it?"

"E-even though Icepaw is my kit?" whispered Whitefur.

There was renewed muttering at this.

"Well, Whitefur, all of the cats here know that it is against the warrior code for you to take a mate, but it is certainly not Icepaw's fault, and I am prepared to forgive you this time around. Yes, this is my decision," he mewed in a slightly raised voice, as several cats had made noises of dissent.

"Th-thank you, Ravenwing!" Whitefur gasped, her blue eyes widening with happiness.

"And... Skystorm?" mewed Ravenwing, turning to the black she-cat.

Skystorm glanced at Jay for a brief heartbeat before making up her mind. "Sorry, Ravenwing. You'll be a great leader, and I hope you do well, but I want to... I want to stay a loner with my friend Jay. Because... well, because I love him."


	28. Realisation

**DISCLAIMER: Ich besitze Krieger nicht! (German for I don't own Warriors)**

Realisation

Frostpaw gasped. Wildpaw had even stopped applying marigold to the slash on his belly. Skystorm wasn't going back to her Clan? Frostpaw tried to stand up.

"No! Stop - you can't stand up yet," Wildpaw mewed, alarmed.

"I have to go and see my sister," Frostpaw mewed in a strained tone. Flinching as a leaf brushed his open wound, and ignoring the look of shock Wildpaw gave him – after all, no cat knew that Skystorm and Frostpaw were related – he tried to walk a couple of paces. His head swam and his legs trembled with the weight of his body, but he padded on.

Skystorm was in view - Frostpaw caught sight of Jay's delighted face before he collapsed on the ground and everything went black.

***

"Urrrgh..." Frostpaw opened one eye. He wasn't sure where he was. His head felt groggy and numb, but there was a certain familiarity about the place he was resting...

"No disrespect, Wild-what's-your-face, but I'll tell you who I am after I've seen the cat I love!"

"Shh! He's still unconscious, I think. This is a medicine cat den and my patient needs-"

"I just want to see him, alright? Frostpaw? Can you hear me?"

Frostpaw remembered that voice. It was strangely accented, and it sounded like water flowing over pebbles...

"Frostpaw? Frostpaw! Please, tell me he's going to make it!"

"Well, he lost a lot of blood when that cat clawed him... Not that you didn't do a great job, Wildpaw..."

"He's going to join StarClan! Oh, I didn't even get a chance to tell him that I loved him..."

It was that, more than anything else, which brought Frostpaw to his senses. He sat up abruptly, and felt a sharp pain on the top of his head. He had hit his head on the roof of the den.

"_Ouch_!"

"Frostpaw!" Featherflight hurried towards him.

"F-Frostpaw!" Frostpaw caught sight of the grey to-be. Flight looked dreadful - her coat was ungroomed and there was a wild, desperate look in her amber eyes.

"Flight, are you... are you okay?" Frostpaw was surprised by how croaky his voice sounded.

"Me?" Flight looked shocked. "What about you, you crazy furball?"

"What about me?"

"Well, let's see... you got slashed in the stomach by a massive cat, then you collapsed, you've been unconscious in this den for almost a day, and now you've just smacked your head on the roof of the medicine cat den!"

Frostpaw suddenly remembered what had caused him to hit his head in the first place. "Erm... Frostpaw, this may sound really mousebrained, but just as I was waking up, I heard a cat - you - say that I wasn't going to make it and that you never got the chance to... er... tell me that you... erm, loved me, or something like that."

Flight gave a small noise that sounded a bit like a reluctant mouse being killed.

"I mean, that's just what I heard," Frostpaw hastily amended. "…And you should take up mouse imitations," he joked, trying to detract from the subject.

"Well, um... that would be true..." Flight mumbled, staring determinedly at her paws.

"What, the mouse imitations, or the…?" Frostpaw broke off.

"Um, the…" Flight spoke softly. "The… what you said before. Not the… mouse thing."

Frostpaw felt a little dizzy. "S-seriously…?"

Flight nodded, still not making eye contact. "I've been trying to tell you since... since I realised."

"Well, now… you've got the chance," Frostpaw whispered, staring at the top of her bowed head.

Flight looked up and looked into his amber eyes. Frostpaw could see fear and uncertainty battling there. "Frostpaw… I love you. I always have." She forced out a purr and headbutted him gently. "And I guess I always will. Like your Clan would say… Mousebrained, huh?"

And then it hit Frostpaw - he seemed to have known it all along, how could he have missed it? - meeting her, getting along with her straight away, learning to hunt like the Tribe with her, letting her come with him, sharing food with her, stopping her arguing with Jay, laughing with her... He had fallen in love with Flight without realising it.

"No… Flight, it's not mousebrained. Flight, I… love you, too," he whispered.

"What?"

"I love you."

Frostpaw waited for Flight's response, a million and one things rushing through his head, his heart thudding.

"Really?" Flight's eyes were almost glowing. "No jokes?"

Frostpaw shook his head. "Flight, I really love you. I should have realized it by now... I love you."

***

The moor breeze rippled Wildheart's pelt as he prepared to set out for the Moonpool. He couldn't believe that he had become leader of WindClan... somehow, like a kit, he had thought that Ashstar would live forever.

Rainstorm, Wildheart's new deputy, was in charge of camp while he was away. He had known straight away that she would be the new deputy. True, she was young, and true, many cats wouldn't approve of her, as she used to be a kittypet, but she had proved herself worthy thousands of times over. She had been Wildheart's first apprentice, too... He purred a little as he remembered how excited he had been on that day.

Wildheart hoped that his kits were glad that he had become Clan leader. Ashstar had recently made them warriors - Specklefeather and Oakleaf - and they were over the moon about that.

"Wildheart!" called a voice. Wildheart looked over his shoulder. It was the small grey she-cat who had yowled at him earlier.

"Hello," Wildheart mewed coolly. "Have you decided to let me in on your oh-so-secret identity yet?"

"I'm sorry about that," she apologised. Wildheart looked closely at her amber eyes. There was no trace of a mockery or lies there. "I was just worried about Frostpaw."

"There seems to be a special bond between you two," Wildheart mewed curiously.

She nodded once. "Well, my name is Flight of Startled Heron." She did an odd gesture with her paw. Wildheart was surprised, and wasn't really sure how to respond.

"Er…" He decided to simply change the subject. "Are you a loner?"

Flight on Startling Heather or whatever her name was shook her head. "I come from the Tribe of Rushing Water. You can call me Flight if you want. Maybe you'd recognise me if I said I knew Mist on Frosty Morning?"

Something in that name stirred Wildheart's memory. "Didn't Rainstorm have something to do with her?"

Flight nodded. "I came to request a favour."

"From your Tribe?"

"Not exactly," Flight mewed. "You see, Frostpaw and I travelled together, in the hope that he would be reunited with Skystorm."

"What-" Wildheart began to say, but Flight shook her head.

"Please, let me finish. In due course, I realized that I had… well, that I fallen in love with Frostpaw, to put it frankly. Unfortunately, I didn't know if he felt the same way."

Wildheart nodded - he knew that feeling well. He remembered plucking up the courage to find out whether Dawnlight felt the same way that he did.

"Just now, he realised that he loved me, too. And this is where my request comes in. If you would not mind it..." Flight hesitated for a heartbeat. "If you would not mind it, I would like to join WindClan."

Wildheart stopped, considering.

"I would be happy to take on a Clan name."

Wildheart still wasn't sure. Was this what Bramblestar had been warning about, becoming just a band of loners, kittypets, and half Clan cats? No - he shook his head. If Wildheart refused, it would be as good as exiling Frostpaw. He was able, Wildheart knew that. And Flight might teach WindClan the ways of the Tribe. More knowledge could only be a good thing.

"I'll decide when I come back from the Moonpool," Wildheart mewed at last. "Maybe StarClan will hold answers."

Flight's eyes glowed with happiness - she darted back to Featherflight and Wildpaw's den. Heatbeats later, Featherflight had emerged. She flicked her tail, and Wildheart nodded.

He was leaving behind his warrior life - Wildheart would return as Wildstar.


	29. Lives

**DISCLAIMER: Non possiedo di Guerrieri! (Italian for I don't own Warriors)**

Lives

The four cats bent their heads, and, for the first time, lapped up some droplets of water on their tongues. It tasted like starlight, Ravenwing thought, as he shut his eyes briefly.

Shuddering slightly from the cold of the water, Ravenwing opened his eyes. He was on the island, and it was dusk. Shadows whispered as several shimmering, starry shapes came into view. StarClan.

Many cats spoke at once, yet it seemed like one voice.

"Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

Ravenwing sat up straight. "Yes," he whispered.

The first cat stepped forward. Ravenwing gasped as he recognized his father, Nightfur.

"Father!" he yelped. The dark tom smiled. His amber eyes, which matched Ravenwing's, glowed with pride.

"With this life I give you daring, and bravery," he mewed quietly. "Use it to make the right decisions, even if some cats do not agree."

As his father rested his muzzle of Ravenwing's head, he felt a great burst of pain - screeches of battle and burning energy ended in a furious yowl. Ravenwing took a shuddering breath as his father stepped back.

_Great StarClan,_ he thought in alarm. _If that was one life, I don't know how I'm going to bear the remaining eight._

Another cat was stepping forward - Ravenwing recognized the furry white pelt of Tornclaw. He felt a pang of guilt as he remembered how Icepaw's father had died - struck down by a monster in the patrol that he, Ravenwing, had organised.

"I'm so sorry, Tornclaw. It was all my fault..." He hung his head, but Tornclaw's green eyes were warm.

"With this life I give you fair dealing. Make sure that you will not jump to unfair conclusions."

Ravenwing was ready for the pain this time, but that didn't stop it from being any less harsh - in fact, as Ravenwing's pelt burned with the humiliation and indignation that the life was giving him, it felt even more painful. But, as Tornclaw stepped back, he felt that it was worth it.

***

Spottedpath steadied herself as the next cat stepped forward to grant her the third life. This time it was Onekit, a kit who had died because of the shiny silver Twoleg stuff when she was just a warrior. Onekit was her sister's kit, and Spottedpath was particularly close to her, even though she had died of grief herself less than a moon later. Unfortunately, there were no other nursing queens at the time, so that had led to the early deaths of Molekit and Brownkit.

"Onekit!" Spottedpath managed to choke out in a whispery mew.

Onekit smiled a tiny smile, and Spottedpath could hear wisdom far beyond the wisdom of a tiny kit in his mew.

"With this life I give you devotion," Onekit's high-pitched mew rang out. "Use it to defend your Clan without angering others."

Spottedpath had to bend her head so that Onekit could place his muzzle on her tortoiseshell head. With a rush of scorching passion and stubbornness, the life was granted to her.

"Onekit..." Spottedpath whispered to the kit. "Is Longfoot... is she...?"

But Onekit gave her one long look and stepped back into the ranks of StarClan.

Spottedpath could almost feel the tension that crackled through the air as she waited for the next starry cat to grant her a life.

A lithe brown shape padded forward and purred slightly.

"Longfoot!" Spottedpath croaked, overwhelmed at the sight of her sister, and Onekit's mother.

Longfoot didn't look as exhausted and gaunt as the last time Spottedpath had seen her. She looked energetic and alive, and gazed upon her sister warmly.

"With this life I give you vigour," she mewed, as her blue eyes met Spottedpath's identically coloured ones. "Use it so that you will be able to go on and on and on, even in times of great hardship."

As Longfoot's muzzle touched the top of her sister's head, Spottedpath felt a great rush of fierce exhilaration as she raced flat out through the trees, her paws barely skimming the ground.

"Thank you," she told her sister, as the life faded.

Longfoot purred, and swiftly rasped her tongue over Spottedpath's ears. "No, Spottedpath. Thank _you_."

***

Wildheart pawed the ground apprehensively. His first four lives were painful, but he knew that the Clan would thank him for guiding WindClan for many moons to come.

The bringer of his fifth life came forward. Wildheart made out a shimmering orange shape before he realized that it was Mistycloud.

"With this life I give you fortification," she mewed. "Use it to make sure that your Clan remains strong and thriving."

As Mistycloud rested her muzzle on Wildheart' head, he heard a terrible growling snarl, and became aware of a ferocious blaze in his claws, and he somehow knew that attack without a strong defence was nearly impossible.

As the life faded out, Wildheart saw Mistycloud padding back to the ranks of StarClan. His breath was coming in ragged gasps.

As Wildheart recovered from the severity of Mistycloud's life, a silver she-cat with grey paws, tail, and ear-tips stepped forward. Her ice-blue eyes gazed at Wildheart warmly.

Wildheart jumped in shock. "S-Skywing?" he stuttered. The she-cat nodded, but did not elaborate.

"With this life, I give you affection," she said softly. She did not say anything about using the life, but simply rested her muzzle on his head lightly. Wildheart closed his eyes briefly and drank in the soul of the cat he had once loved. He could even bear this pain, just to know that Skywing was near.

"Wildheart, stop walking in the past, and open your eyes to the living," she mewed quietly.

Wildheart gave one silent nod. He had a mate and kits now. Dawnlight, Specklefeather and Oakleaf needed him - he had been living in dreams too long.

"I will, Skywing."

***

"With this life, I give you the power of tutoring, to train young cats," mewed Redclaw's sister, Dovepaw. It felt odd to be larger than her sister, but all the same, Redclaw bent her head obediently as Dovepaw's life flashed through her - the thrill of the first kill, the skill of battling, and the warm glow of praise.

"Live well, my sister," Dovepaw murmured, before turning away.

Redclaw blinked once. "You too, my sister."

Redclaw's eighth life was next. Her former mentor, Smokefeather, stepped forward. He had died of greencough.

"With this life, I give you sympathy for your Clan… especially the old and weak," he told her, before touching his muzzle to his former apprentice's head. At that moment, Redclaw felt a rush of understanding - the elders' tendency to snap, '_I can do it myself!_', the will of a sick cat, desperate to get better, the fear of weakened cats, afraid that stronger cats might find and attack them.

As the life ebbed, Redclaw gave a tiny sigh. There was only one life remaining now...

"With this life, I give you dignity in the face of danger," whispered the final remaining cat. Redclaw gaped as she realised that she was being granted her final life by her apprentice, Leopardpaw, who had died in the recent battle. "Use it well," was all she said.

"Leopardpaw…"

"And now I hail you by your new name," whispered Leopardpaw. She dipped her head to her former mentor. "Redstar.

***

"Wildstar."

***

"Spottedstar."

***

"Ravenstar."


	30. Forever

**DISCLAIMER: Ik bezit Strijders niet! (Dutch for I don't own Warriors)**

Forever

Skystorm watched the sun slowly setting behind the mountains. A light breeze whispered in her fur and sent ripples across the lake.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, twining her tail in Jay's.

"Are you sure? Really?" Jay turned anxious blue eyes on Skystorm. "I thought... somewhere between WindClan and RiverClan territory, but not too close to the horseplace."

"I've already told you, it's absolutely _perfect_," purred the black she-cat.

Jay cast a glance at the gently rippling lake. "Thank you, Skystorm."

"No, Jay. Thank _you_. For everything. You saved my life, you showed me to the Moonstone, you left your home for me..."

"Thant makes me sound a lot braver than I was," Jay mumbled. Skystorm brushed her pelt against his affectionately.

"Stuff like that always sounds braver than it was," she answered.

The two stood in silence for a few heartbeats.

"You really didn't have anything to worry about, you know," Skystorm mewed.

"Hmm?"

"With Flight. Even if she had been another tom... My heart belonged to you from the moment I saw you. I just didn't know it then."

Jay gave another purr. "You don't know how much in love with you I was..."

"I didn't know how much _I_ was in love with _you_, you stupid furball," Skystorm purred.

Jay purred. "Skystorm, I will always love you."

"And I will love you forever, Jay."

***

Frostpaw padded up to Flight, who was rigidly sitting in the middle of camp, staring at the Moonpool stream.

"You didn't need to stay up, you know," Frostpaw told her quietly.

Flight turned weary amber eyes on him. "I have to wait for Wildheart. Then he'll tell me if I can join WindClan."

"But Flight..." Frostpaw said anxiously, "You wouldn't be happy. You belong in the mountains."

The grey she-cat gave a tiny purr. "I belong wherever _you_ are."

***

"Wildheart - I mean, Wildstar! You're back!" yowled Specklefeather.

Wildstar nodded. Flight's eyes widened.

Frostpaw twined his tail with Flight's reassuringly.

"Yes, I'm back," Wildstar mewed. "And before we say or do anything, I am going to hold a ceremony."

He gave a leap and bounded onto the Tallrock.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Frostpaw and Flight drew closer to the Tallrock. Wildstar flicked his tail, signalling for both of them to join him. Frostpaw was surprised, but he obeyed at once.

"Frostpaw?"

"Is that _Frostpaw_?"

"It must be!"

"I'm sure it is!"

"Frostpaw!"

"Hey, Frostpaw!"

"Now," Wildstar mewed. All the watching cats fell silent at once. "It is time to perform a duty that should have been performed long ago. Frostpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Frostpaw's heart thudded painfully as he realized what was happening. "I do."

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Frostpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Frostfire. StarClan honours your straightforwardness and loyalty, and welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

"Frostfire! Frostfire! Frostfire!" called the listening cats. Frostfire trembled. He never expected to be given his warrior name. It had been an unimportant hope, really, an idle sort of dream...

"Frostfire," mewed a small voice beside him. Frostfire turned to see Flight, her eyes glowing with happiness.

The cats had turned away, but they turned back at Flight's voice.

"What? Who's that?"

"She smells strange..."

"She's not a kittypet, is she?"

"No, no, the scent's different."

"You're right - it's definitely not Twoleg..."

"Then where _is _she from?"

"I'm from the Tribe of Rushing Water," mewed Flight boldly.

"The Tribe of... what?"

"I've got no clue..."

"Wait!" mewed an elderly voice. It was Rockfall. "Wasn't the Tribe of Rushing Water mentioned in Rainstorm's legend?"

"Hey... I think you're right!"

"Rainstorm, do you know this cat?"

Rainstorm looked rather bewildered. "I travelled with Mist on Frosty Morning..." she mewed slowly.

"Yes - she's the Healer of my Tribe!" Flight nodded. "Well, her name is Stoneteller now, but… My name is Flight of Startled Heron."

Rainstorm screwed up her eyes in concentration. "It does ring a bell... Hmm... Do you know Moon That Sparkles on Cavetop?"

Flight nodded. "His name is Moon That _Shines _on Cavetop, but yes, he's my brother. And my mother is Mouse That is Carried by Eagle."

Rainstorm's eyes flew open. "Yes - that's it!" she exclaimed. "I saw you when I travelled to the mountains! When Mist - oh, sorry, Stoneteller - returned, she went to look at Mouse's kits... and Flight, I'm _sure_ you were one of them!"

"Yes," Wildstar mewed. "Flight is from the Tribe of Rushing Water. The leader of her Tribe travelled with Rainstorm. They're not harmful in any way, are they, Rainstorm?"

The black she-cat shook her head. "No, of course not. Mi- Stoneteller was a very gentle cat."

"So why is she here?" asked Roseheart curiously.

Flight answered for herself. "Because I want to join WindClan."

Mayflower made a noise of outrage. "But she hasn't got Clan blood!"

Wildstar sighed. "But Frostfire has."

Many cat's eyes whipped over to Frostfire, then whipped back to Wildstar.

"What's Frostfire got to do with it?" Cindersky asked.

Wildstar looked at Flight and Frostfire to answer.

"Because I fell in love with him," Flight mewed clearly.

Half of the Clan gasped.

"So," Wildstar mewed in a ringing voice, "if we do not accept Flight into the Clan, Frostfire will leave with her. Do any of you want to lose a loyal warrior? Or would you like to gain another loyal warrior?"

There was silence. Wildstar seemed to take that for assent.

"Flight, please step forward. Are you happy to take on a Clan name?"

Flight nodded. "Nothing would make me happier."

"From this day forward, you shall be known as Heronflight. StarClan will honour your loyalty and uniqueness, and we welcome you as a warrior of WindClan."

"Heronflight! Heronflight! Heronflight!" Frostfire chanted. The rest of the Clan followed his lead.

"Heronflight! Heronflight! Heronflight!"

Frostfire gave a purr of pure elation.

"Talk about a perfect day."

**=collapses with weak cheer that editing is done=**


End file.
